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

…in northern England for improved cross-border collaboration going forward. In addition to supporting cross-border red squirrel conservation efforts led by other landscape partners, over the next six months, SSRS staff and partners will be working to develop and trial a “cooperative community funding model” in which estates, landowners, and others can contribute to a common fund dedicated specifically to supporting… […]

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VolunteerFAQs

…• Solway Forests PARC • Tweeddale PARC and northern parts of the Teviot & Rule PARC Some additional ongoing support will also be available from our HQ team for communications and Community Hub activities, further details below. To get in touch with SSRS staff for support please email squirrels@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk Will my network be operating independently from April 2024? A very… […]

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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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Scotland’s Red Squirrels

…pine forests of the Highlands.   Under threat Red squirrel populations have seriously declined, with only around 120,000 remaining in Scotland today. In some places they have not been seen for many years. The greatest threat to the red squirrel’s future in Scotland is the invasive non-native grey squirrel. Larger and more robust, grey squirrels out-compete red squirrels for food… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…In 2018 Peter was asked by SSRS to found the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland as the umbrella organisation run by volunteers for all the volunteers in the squirrel groups and networks (now 18 with around 350 members) in South Scotland. The Forum acts as a bridge with other red squirrel organisations in the UK, helping to keep the… […]

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

…density of squirrels, or birch, which provides neither food nor cover for red squirrels. There must be a minimum of 180 ha of good, connected woodland for a reintroduction of red squirrels to be undertaken. It is also beneficial if there are further habitat corridors to further woodlands and the potential for red squirrel populations to join and merge. What… […]

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Faces Old and New at Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

…team and she also works closely with the Tayside Conservation Officer and Grey Squirrel Officers. Contact: ymcmurchie @scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk     Katie Berry: Communications & Engagement Officer Katie began her squirrel journey as the SSRS Administrator, joining the team in March 2020, just before the first covid-19 lockdown. In November 2022 she became the Communications & Engagement Officer for the team,… […]

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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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North East Volunteer Spotlight: Celebrating our volunteer Janice Drew as she moves on to pastures new!

…team need to be “everywhere at once”! In order to achieve this, over the last two and a half years we have recruited around 60 volunteers, who take part in our “Rapid Response Monitoring”, which are fortnightly feeder surveys all over Aberdeen city, and in the south of the region (to prevent immigration from Angus). This amounts to roughly 27… […]

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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