We are now one year into our 2022-24 Transition Project, and there have been a fair few changes here at Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels! In our first staffing update of the new phase we are please to (re)introduce all our staff across the country, and give an overview as to our roles and activities within […]
Category: Blog
Hawick, Selkirk and Denholm Red Squirrel Network – One Year Later
Saving Scotland Red Squirrels: Developing Community Action ran from 2017 – 2022. One of the aims of this phase of the project was to set up and equip a network of volunteer groups in South Scotland capable of independently taking forward red squirrel conservation in the region. As such, in April 2022, 13 of the […]
An Introduction to Squirrels in Scotland
There are over 200 species of squirrel across the globe, and Scotland is home to just two of them, the Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Grey squirrels, which are native to North America, were introduced to Britain in 1876, before which it is estimated that there were around […]
New faces and farewells
Here we are at Midsummer, three months into the Transition phase at Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels. It has been a busy few months and there have been some changes along the way, with new faces throughout. First we had Greg Kemish, who stepped into Project Administrator Katie’s shoes while she went on secondment for […]
The Bald Facts
It’s that time of year again when we receive a lot of worried enquiries about red squirrels with bald patches from the public, concerned that the squirrels are either sick or injured. As you can see from the image below, they can look very ragged, and some squirrels have large areas of bald […]
Leaping into the future
This week marks the official end of ‘Developing Community Action’. The past five years have gone incredibly fast! So what happens next? Funded by National Lottery Players, ‘Developing Community Action’ saw the SSRS team expand to its largest ever staffing level, with ambitious aims to boost our engagement with local communities, build a […]
Join team squirrel!
Join team squirrel! We’re currently recruiting for eight exciting new opportunities across Scotland. Programme Manager Location: Leith Region: National Contract: Full-time fixed term until March 2024 Closing date: 14 March 2022 Are you passionate about conservation? For the next phase of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, we are looking for a strong leader […]
For nature, go native
Research carried out in Northern Ireland has highlighted the importance of native woodland for the long-term protection of red squirrels. The research modelled red squirrel populations in non-native conifer forests with the presence of pine martens— a natural predator to the red squirrel in both Scotland and Northern Ireland. Pine martens had been persecuted […]
Knowledge Fair – celebrating five years of community action
In December over 100 SSRS volunteers, landowners and other supporters joined us online to celebrate the end of the project’s ‘Developing Community Action‘ phase. The two-day Knowledge Fair featured presentations and panel discussions on all that the project has achieved over the past five years. It was also an opportunity to learn more about […]
News: ‘Booster’ project will protect Scotland’s red squirrels for another two years
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is pleased to announce that the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project has secured initial funding for a two-year transitional project phase in April 2022. This ‘booster’ phase will enable the project to complete its aims and plan for the long-term future, leaving a legacy of sustainable and community-led red […]