News and Blogs

  When squirrelpox first arrived in the south of Scotland in 2005, there were fears that the virus would prove devastating to the region's red squirrels. The project was also concerned that without conservation action the virus would continue to spread north towards Scotland's core red squirrel populations in the Highlands. Prof Andy White of Heriot-Watt University and Dr Peter Lurz of Edinburgh University explain how mathematical modelling has helped Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels develop a strategy for protecting red squirrels in both the Central Lowlands and South Scotland.   Mathematics seems perhaps an unlikely tool to help save red squirrels in Scotland, yet for the last five years it has been an integral part of Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland conservation efforts. Our knowledge of squirrel reproduction, dispersal, mortality, competition and squirrelpox transmission allows us to create mathematical models that simulate how red and grey squirrel populations change over time. The models can be combined with satellite maps of forest and squirrel habitat distribution to determine, for example, the spread and impact of squirrelpox virus on red squirrel populations in real Scottish landscapes. The approach has been pioneered by Prof. Andy White and his team at Heriot-Watt University, and the models are a cost-effective approach to guide and help maximise the success of conservation efforts. To date th ...

  Monitoring Officer Nina Schönberg explains how we use camera traps to survey squirrels in Aberdeenshire, often with entertaining results!   On top of our regular hair sample-based surveys, in the North East we also run a camera-trapping survey in specially selected woodlands. Camera Traps (or Trail Cameras) are designed to detect movement and changes in temperature (i.e. body heat) in order to capture pictures of wildlife in their natural habitat without disturbing them, thus allowing the recording of natural behaviors. Most cameras let you choose between photos and video recording, and select the intervals between which photos will not be taken. In the North East, we use them in association with a specially designed camera box, which was developed by the James Hutton Institute. With the camera attached to the other end of the box, accompanied by a macro lens and with the box filled with feed in front of the camera, we’re able to capture beautiful close-up photos of any animal that comes to investigate! The set up of Bushnell cameras we use for our surveying. The flash is covered to avoid over-exposure   The cameras also take high quality pictures at night-time (here is a red squirrel, easily recognised from the ear tufts)   We place the cameras high up (>3m) in the trees and leave them for two weeks, visiting halfway through to top up the feed (peanuts and maize). While this is done to ensure that any animal that lives in t ...

  Laura Preston, the new Scottish Borders Conservation Officer for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, is calling on locals to help the project by reporting sightings of both red and grey squirrels online.   Laura joins Community Engagement Officer Alexa Seagrave in the project’s new regional office near Newton St Boswells. They will be working with landowners and volunteers to protect red squirrels in Scottish Borders priority areas by managing the spread of invasive grey squirrels. Building up strong networks of volunteers will be essential to ensuring the red squirrel’s long-term survival in the region, and emerging community groups in areas such as Upper Teviotdale & Borthwick Water are already beginning to play a vital role. The project’s Grey Squirrel Officers are also working on the ground to control grey squirrel numbers in the areas where this action will have a positive impact on red squirrel populations. One way that everyone can help is to report sightings of both red and grey squirrels on the project website, scottishsquirrels.org.uk. Dr Mel Tonkin, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Project Manager said: “Conservationists have been monitoring squirrel populations across Scotland since 2004. Sightings from the public are important because they help us measure the impact of our work and decide where to focus our efforts. “Our 2018 sightings map currently shows that while there are still places in the Scottish Borders with he ...

  The Scottish Wildlife Trust has awarded Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels volunteer Rob Asbridge the "Rusty Bog" Volunteer Award for all the hard work he has put into helping to protect the red squirrels in his area; including the construction of a community base and red squirrel hide for the local community to enjoy and value their local red squirrels.   Rob is the Chair of the Kirkcudbright Red Squirrel Group, which was formed in the early summer of 2018 to bring together local people keen to protect their local red squirrels. The Group currently has around 30 members, who are kept busy with a number of tasks including survey work, habitat management, grey squirrel control and spreading awareness of the plight of the red squirrel by running educational events for families and children. They work in conjunction with the Barhill Community Woodland Project; a community initiative under the umbrella of the Kirkcudbright Development Trust, to improve the woodland for both people and wildlife. Rob was presented with his award by Scottish Wildlife Trust Chair Dr Linda Rosborough   Rob arranged for a red squirrel hide and Community Base to be built in Barhill Wood, which overlooks the town of Kirkcudbright. It is hoped that this will raise awareness of red squirrels in the town and will encourage local children to get involved in the conservation of the species. The community base is open to all local community groups to use as a base for their ow ...

  If you volunteer with us in South Scotland, you may have noticed a lot of coming and going amongst our project staff in recent months. Here’s a handy guide to who they are, where they are based and what they’ll be up to in the coming months and years.   The Scottish Borders Laura Preston: Conservation Officer Laura is the latest addition to the SSRS team, replacing Ann-Marie MacMaster who has returned to her original role as Conservation Officer for Tayside. Laura joins us from the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve, where she was Ranger for eight years. In her new role she’ll be working with landowners and volunteers to ensure there is a strategic and effective approach to grey squirrel control across the Scottish Borders. Contact: lpreston@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk   Alexa Seagrave: Community Engagement Officer (part-time) Alexa has recently changed roles, having previously worked as Conservation Officer for the region. Her new focus is on engaging with local communities and volunteers in the region’s priority areas; attending events, organising volunteer training and helping to establish new red squirrel volunteer networks in the Scottish Borders. Contact: aseagrave@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk   Scottish Borders Office Unit 4, Tweed Horizons Centre, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0SG Tel: 01835823054   South West Scotland Dr Stephanie Johnstone: Conservat ...

  The first ‘Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland’ conference took place in Johnstonebridge on Saturday 27 October, bringing together the many volunteer groups and individuals working to protect red squirrels across the region.   The event was a significant step in our collective efforts to develop landscape-scale community action across South Scotland, which is recognised as being key to the species’ long-term future here. Representatives from nine volunteer networks attended, covering areas from Gatehouse of Fleet in the west to the Berwickshire coast in the east. The gathering offered a chance for volunteers to share their knowledge, experiences and ideas, as well as motivate and inspire one another. On the day we also heard presentations about Cumbria and Northumberland, where some of the only remaining red squirrel populations in England are being successfully conserved through a strong network of volunteer groups, some of which have been operating for as long as three decades. We envisage that a similar level of coverage and cooperation can be achieved in South Scotland to provide the protection that these inter-connected red squirrel populations need to survive. © Peter Garson   So what’s next for the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland? Firstly, the event provided an opportunity to reflect on the strengths and achievements of the existing volunteer networks, most notably: Through targeted grey squirrel control wor ...

  This week Royal Bank of Scotland unveiled the design of its new polymer £20 banknote, which will be in circulation from 2020.   The note’s front side features famous Glaswegian tearoom owner and Mackintosh collaborator Catherine Cranston. It’s great to see Miss Cranston receive well-earned recognition as a pioneer of female entrepreneurship, the first woman other than the Queen to appear on a Scottish twenty. However it was the note’s other side that we were keenly awaiting here at Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels. The design is part of the RBS ‘Fabric of Nature’ series, which began in the sea (£5, mackerel), moving on to the coast (£10, otters), and is now heading into the forest. A few of us had known for a while that red squirrels would have a starring role in this design. Our Project Manager Dr Mel Tonkin provided the design team with her red squirrel expertise, helping to create an image that was scientifically accurate while maintaining its illustrative charm. Of course, this whole process had to be kept top secret! The scene depicted on the note will be familiar to anyone who is lucky enough to have red squirrels regularly visiting their garden: a spiralling mating chase, most often seen in late winter or early spring. Mel was particularly keen that the squirrels’ claws were given some attention to detail, highlighting their perfect adaptation to life in the treetops. The red squirrel has come to be regarded as a quintes ...

  Welcome to the brand new Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels website! Please have a look around.   Like before, the site is the place to find out about the latest project news, get in touch with the team and of course report your squirrel sightings. However it’s much more than that – scottishsquirrels.org.uk is now home to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels online Community Hub. Made possible thanks to National Lottery Players, the Community Hub is an online space where registered users can connect with both the project and other local squirrel enthusiasts. It’s also a tool to help people get more involved in red squirrel volunteering. Anyone can sign up and make an account, and there are different uses depending on your location and interests.   Become an expert squirrel spotter Last year we received a record-breaking 5300 squirrel sightings on our website. Each sighting is added to a national database, helping us better understand squirrel distribution across Scotland. If you’re a dedicated squirrel spotter, you can now register with the Hub to keep a personal record of your own submitted sightings. Perhaps you want to monitor squirrel populations in your local area, or keep a record of your squirrel sightings as your travel round the country. Either way your data will be contributing to the bigger picture. To become an expert squirrel spotter, simply create an account with the Community Hub   Become a super squirrel volunt ...

  This Red Squirrel Week (24-30 September) the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project is calling on Scots to lend a hand by recording sightings of red and grey squirrels in their local area.   The project has created a new online Hub where people all over Scotland can help protect one of the UK’s most threatened species by reporting red and grey squirrel sightings or by getting involved with a local volunteer group. Over 5000 squirrel sightings were reported in 2017 but with the launch of their new Hub, SSRS is this year looking to hit the 10,000 target. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Project Manager, Dr Mel Tonkin said: “For Red Squirrel Week, we’re launching a brand new website where dedicated squirrel spotters can register and keep a personal record of their squirrel sightings. “The comprehensive mapping allows them to view their own squirrel conservation data as well as all of the project’s long-term data. It’s a great way for people to see how their efforts are contributing to changes over time. “It’s also a meeting point where volunteers and supporters can connect with other red squirrel enthusiasts in their area.” Autumn is a very busy time of year for red squirrels as they take advantage of the season’s bountiful supply of nuts, seeds, berries and fungi; making it an ideal time for squirrel sightings. As well as looking up to the treetops to spot squirrels, people should also keep an eye on the forest ...

  Bob Peace from the Glenkens Red Squirrel Group shares his inspiration for getting involved in red squirrel conservation and explains how the volunteer group has gone from strength to strength in recent times.   As a young boy growing up in West Yorkshire in the 1950s, red squirrels were a common sight and grey squirrels were just pictures in nature books. How things change? When I moved to Dumfries and Galloway in the early 70s grey squirrels were a rarity, still confined to the south and a few pockets within the Central Belt and red squirrels were frequently seen in many parts of the region. Fast forward forty years and the picture changed. More greys were being reported, fewer reds were seen and action was required to conserve the population of red squirrels. We were losing our iconic red squirrels. I didn’t want my grandchildren to grow up seeing grey squirrels and only pictures of red squirrels in nature books! So I got involved initially with the Spring Survey at two sites in the Glenkens locality which I found very rewarding. Then in autumn 2014 a public meeting was held in New Galloway, hosted by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels to discuss the future conservation of the red squirrel. Government funding was being reduced and the future of SSRS was in the balance. Local groups of volunteers were seen to be the answer. From seeds sown at this meeting the Glenkens Red Squirrel Group was formed with a small nucleus of dedicated volunteers. Now the ...