Q&A with Sarah Woodfin, Project Manager with Trees for Life’s Red Squirrel Reintroduction Project

…squirrels were still absent from much of their former range across the north-western highlands. Trees for Life aims to create 14 new reintroduced populations of red squirrels in the area, with 10 of these already carried out and doing well. It is aimed that by the end of the project, all possible suitable sites for reintroductions will have had red… […]

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Speaking up for Red Squirrels in the Consultation on Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity

…can move and adapt. 30 by 30 – the plan to increase the area of land that is protected or managed for nature to 30% by 2030. Nature Targets – the plan to set legal targets for nature that the government has to meet. National Parks – the plan to designate at least one new National Park in Scotland by… […]

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VolunteerFAQs

for your Hub and other activities only and your information will simply be updated to reflect this. What support will the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland be able to offer independent groups? The Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland acts as an umbrella organisation for volunteers in all 17 independent groups in the south of Scotland. Their role is… […]

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Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels: the next steps in South Scotland

…will the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland be able to offer independent groups? The Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland acts as an umbrella organisation for volunteers in all 17 independent groups in the south of Scotland. Their role is primarily to assist with cross collaboration between the groups, and put groups in touch with one another to share… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…has chaired three region-wide online meetings with almost all the squirrel groups represented. At its inception, the Forum was seen as a vehicle for obtaining grant-funding at scale and for the good of all. This summer Peter spearheaded a successful application to the Red Squirrel Survival Trust to equip any group lacking them with a thermal imaging scope and up… […]

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Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

…Scottish Squirrel Group have been tasked with drafting an ambitious 50-year vision for red squirrel conservation in Scotland. The revised Strategy will cover a 10-year timeline (2025 – 2035) informed by this vision, and will be developed using the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Guidelines for Species Conservation Planning, the gold standard for species conservation planning which… […]

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Scotland’s Red Squirrels

…Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 provides for duty of care for animals in captivity (live-trapped animals). This makes it an offence to inflict, or allow others to inflict, cruelty or abuse on a grey squirrel held captive. The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) makes it illegal to release, or allow to escape to the wild, any captive grey squirrel…. […]

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Studying the life of the urban red squirrel

nature in our towns and cities, particularly as urban growth and intensification increases. Although red squirrels have successfully adapted to live alongside us in urban areas, they still need access to native seed-bearing trees (instead of ornamental species often found in gardens) for high quality food sources and for building dreys, habitat corridors for movement, and protection from road traffic…. […]

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News: Report details red squirrel conservation successes, with key recommendations for the iconic species’ long-term future in Scotland.

…squirrels – which account for around 75% of the total UK population. Red squirrels are a protected species, but for many years have experienced declines due to the invasive non-native grey squirrel introduced to Britain from North America in Victorian times. Grey squirrels out-compete reds for food and living space and have rapidly replaced native red squirrel populations across most […]

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This Year's Sightings