The Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrel (SSRS) team are very saddened by the recent passing of Brian Fishwick, SSRS volunteer and founding member of the Glenkens Red Squirrel Group. Described as a ‘leading light’ by his peers, Brian’s enthusiasm and commitment to the cause has been an inspiration to many and instrumental in the ongoing protection […]
Category: Blog
Building a Volunteer Network
Network groups across South Scotland priority areas are ensuring the long-term survival of native red squirrels through community action. In our project’s priority areas, some of these groups are already beginning to see red squirrel populations bounce back. Red squirrel groups have been invaluable in collective conservation efforts to date in South Scotland and are led by […]
Commendation for collaborative conservation efforts in Aberdeen
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels have been working in partnership with Aberdeen City Council to develop strategies for protecting Scotland’s native red squirrels in the North East since the project first began. At the ALGE (Association of Local Government Ecologists) awards in December, this work was acknowledged with a special commendation certificate. Celebrating ALGE’s 25th […]
Taking an evidence based approach to practical action
Dr Jenny Bryce, Scottish Natural Heritage Wildlife Ecologist, discusses how evidence is shaping conservation strategy; reflecting on invasives insights upon the publication of a paper co-written by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels’ Dr Mel Tonkin. In July 2017 Mel Tonkin, SSRS Project Manager, presented a paper at the IUCN Island Invasives conference held in […]
An Autumn Overview of Tree ID
The seasons have changed and our walkways are now covered with leaves of orange, yellow, red and brown. Autumn is one of the best times to get playful with tree identification while there is so much to pick up and investigate. What colours and shapes can you see? Are there fruits and nuts on the […]
We’re helping it happen
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has won a Helping It Happen award! It’s not every day you see a red squirrel in the centre of Edinburgh, not least one surrounded by twinkling lights, clinking glasses and the chatter of people in tuxedos and cocktail dresses. It was only a projection, but still the image represented […]
Looking for signs of squirrels this September
We want to help you get the most out of your Great Scottish Squirrel Survey week and give you the best opportunity possible to see our furry friends out in the wild. Our SSRS Conservation Officers from across the country have come up with a guide of subtle signs, memorable marks and helpful hints to assist you on your adventures over the next few days. […]
Volunteering by numbers
We often say that we couldn’t save Scotland’s red squirrels without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, and we mean it! Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a pretty big team. We have 19 full-time members of staff, rising to 27 during the summer months. Whether we’re carrying out grey squirrel control […]
All things invasive with the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative
This week is national Invasive Species Week, 13-17 May, which aims to raise awareness across Great Britain about invasive species and their impacts. Being a project all about invasive species, here at the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative, we’re quite excited about having a whole week of lots of people talking about Invasive Species […]
Gardening for red squirrels
As it’s National Gardening Week we thought we would share some tips on how to make your garden more red squirrel-friendly. By making a few small changes, you could be helping some of your local residents stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Have you ever winced as yet another neighbour monoblocks their front garden, or […]