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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 the project at this critical time for red squirrel conservation.   Nicole Still: Programme Manager Nicole joined the SSRS team in June 2022 as the new Programme Manager to oversee the team’s operations across Scotland and lead the delivery the Transition Phase’s legacy aims. Originally from the Great Lakes region in the US, Nicole has spent the last decade studying and working in temperate forests across Europe and North America. She earned her MSc from the University of Edinburgh and SRUC and is currently wrapping up her PhD research in forest sciences from the University of Freiburg. Her research has focused on the impacts of forest and wildlife management on biodiversity and her professional experience has largely centred around developing and managing landscape-scale forest conservation programmes. Favourite red squirrel fact: they can swim! Contact: nstill@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk   Dr Emma Sheehy: Eradication Scientific Lead for North East Scotland Emma joined us in April 2020 as Conservation Officer for North East Scotland, with a strong scientific background including her ground breaking research on the relationship between squirr ...

  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 Red Squirrel Networks in South Scotland became independent, retaining use of the SSRS Community Hub and other resources. We catch up with Bill Ferguson from the Hawick, Selkirk and Denholm network to hear how they have been getting on.  Since becoming an independent group in April 2022, HSD Red Squirrel Network has been led by our 5 dedicated committee members: the Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Admin Support, and Fundraiser, all of whom have worked tirelessly to promote red squirrel conservation efforts in our area. As part of the South of Scotland Red Squirrel Forum we also meet bi-annually with all the other Border groups to keep each other informed of what is going on in the Borders and beyond and how we can help each other develop. Our Aims: To protect, identify and strengthen red squirrel populations in our area. Encourage the expansion of current red squirrel populations in our area. Support neighbouring red squirrel groups to establish themselves where possible. Promote better understanding and support for red squirrels in the Borders generally by delivering presentations and through attendance at local events etc. Funding: ...

Participants of the 2022 Great Scottish Squirrel Survey have helped to build a better picture of red and grey squirrel distributions across Scotland, helping conservation efforts across the country. Members of the public helped contribute significantly to red squirrel conservation in Scotland by reporting sightings during the annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey Week in October of last year. This was the 4th year of the survey, which has proved invaluable towards building a picture of both red and grey squirrel distributions across the country. The information collected during the survey directly influences work carried out by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, a project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust that has been going for the last 14 years to help save this iconic species. A total of 659 people took part in the survey, with 255 grey squirrel and 510 red squirrel sightings reported in total, more than triple the number of sightings reported in a typical week. The survey confirmed that the red-only population of the Highlands remains safe and free of grey squirrels thanks to efforts by staff protecting the Highland Boundary Fault Line. It also shows that concerted work in Aberdeen has been very successful, with reds returning and grey numbers significantly decreasing in the city. In South Scotland a mix of the two species remains, but volunteers are working hard to keep numbers of grey squirrels low in this region. Nicole Still, Programme Manager for Sav ...

  Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels has received multiple reports of red squirrels with suspected squirrelpox virus in Johnsfield just outside Lockerbie. Locals are urged to remain vigilant as this fatal disease could have serious consequences for the local red squirrel population. Within the past few weeks, and over the festive period, several individual red squirrels have been spotted by members of the public and SSRS staff which appear to display classic symptoms of the deadly disease. Very sadly at least 10 red squirrels have been found dead in the area due to suspected squirrelpox. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels which appears not to affect them, but when passed to red squirrels, the virus is often lethal. Symptoms include weeping lesions on the face, paws and genitalia, which prevent the red squirrel from eating, drinking or moving. As a result, it is usually fatal within two weeks and an outbreak can cause local numbers to crash. Pox infected red squirrel, photographed by William Lee Andrew Hodgkinson, Project Officer for Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels said: “This is a particularly vulnerable time for red squirrels, as they prepare for the upcoming mating season and increase contact with one another. We have deployed our emergency squirrelpox outbreak response measures, and as such locals can expect to see an increased staff and volunteer presence in the area as we increase grey control efforts in the region in a bid to stem the o ...

Republished from 09/17/2021 by Victoria Chanin   The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey 2022 is right around the corner, and now in its fourth year, we are very excited to see this year’s results! For those who haven’t participated before, the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey is a week-long event in the autumn during National Red Squirrel Awareness Week when we call on the general public to keep an eye out for red and grey squirrels in their area and submit their sightings to Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels.   Why do we do this? The information we get from your squirrel sightings gives us a clear picture of both red and grey squirrel movements, and helps us and our volunteers to direct our control efforts where they are most needed. It also gives us a year on year comparison of red and grey squirrel distribution throughout Scotland so we can measure the progress of the project.   How do you submit your sightings? It’s very easy – just head to our website and on the homepage you can see the sightings information with a button for reporting a squirrel sighting. You will be asked for a grid reference, however if you are unable to supply this you can drop a pin on the map and a grid reference will be generated. If you have any additional comments on behaviour or location these can be really helpful, especially if you live in a squirrelpox hotspot (the south of Scotland) and think a red squirrel looks poorly.   Verification Our job ...

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is calling on members of the public to take part in the nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey now taking place between 10-16 October (National Red Squirrel Week). Now in its fourth year, the squirrel spotting campaign is hoping to build on the previous successes of this important effort. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which is working in priority areas across Scotland to protect red squirrels from the spread of the non-native grey squirrel. This year, project partners are encouraging everyone in Scotland to go out and get squirrel spotting during Red Squirrel Awareness Week, and to add their sightings to the online map at scottishsquirrels.org.uk. Victoria Chanin, Project Officer in South Scotland said: “Red Squirrel Week is great time to get outside for an autumnal walk. Engaging with nature in this way is very beneficial for people’s wellbeing and adding sightings of red and grey squirrels to our online map helps us to keep track of squirrel movements in Scotland.” During times of transition and uncertainty, like those facing the nation in recent weeks, many find peace by connecting with their local wildlife and greenspaces. As we return to our normal routines and take time to reflect, the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey encourages members of the public to further explore those nature connections and get involved directly with conservation efforts h ...

  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 3.5 million native red squirrels. There are now approximately 160,000 native red squirrels in Britain, of which over 75% live in Scotland Since the introduction of grey squirrels, they have become widespread across Britain due to their ability to adapt to new environments. They have also introduced the squirrel pox virus which, although catastrophic to red squirrels, appears to leave grey squirrels relatively unharmed due to their developed immunity. Grey squirrels are also able to outcompete red squirrels for resources such as food and habitat, in part due to their larger size, making it harder for red squirrels to breed and survive. As well as the impact of grey squirrels, habitat loss has played a significant role in the decline of red squirrels. Squirrels rely on woodland habitat, and where this is altered, due to development, or change in land use, this can lead to isolated populations of red squirrels, making it harder for them to survive. Not only do red squirrels serve as the inspiration for many of our favourite childhood stories, they also play a vital role within the ecosystem. Red squirrels play a valuable part in seed dis ...

  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 a couple of months. Greg looked after our administrative needs beautifully in that time and we wish him well in his next adventure. Katie, meanwhile has been off on her own adventures taking part in Osprey Watch at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s reserve Loch of the Lowes near Dunkeld. Here Katie joined a dedicated team of staff and volunteers monitoring and protecting ospreys on the reserve during the most crucial part of their breeding season. Highlights included watching the resident female osprey lay 3 eggs, observing the hatching and development of the young chicks, and admiring the incredible methods by which both parent ospreys worked together to ensure the very best chances for their young. Other favourite wildlife moments consisted of incredible beaver and pine marten sightings, as well as of course lots of red squirrels (almost daily!) around the reserve. In Tayside we have two seasonal Grey Squirrel Control Officers, Mario and Gavin, while Yvonne has joined the Northeast team as Monitoring and Control Officer for Mearns and East Angus.  Yvonne will be building upon the NE Team’s Rapid Response Monitoring scheme in the Mearns, a ...

    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 skin! The good news is that if it is running about happily, it is likely that it is simply shedding its winter coat, or moulting. In fact red squirrels have two moults a year, in the spring and the autumn. Starting at the head and working its way down the body to the base of the tail, the moult can take up to six weeks to complete, and in the autumn the whole process begins again in the opposite direction, from the base of the tail and moving up towards the head. The glorious fluffy tail and ear tips only moult once a year. The tail begins its moult in June and can take until September to complete. We often get sent photographs of squirrels with one side of its tail looking rather bald and unsightly. The ear tips start to thin out slowly from January, reappearing in September in time for the autumn frosts. It seems a little precipitous to start moulting at a time of year in Scotland when you can still get hard frosts and heavy snows, and we can only theorise why they moult so early. Dr Mel Tonkin, formerly Project Manager of SSRS was studying wild red squirrels in the 1980’s and didn’t see any evidence of moulting this early. Is it an effect of climate ...

  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 network of skilled volunteers and, of course, protect red squirrels by managing the spread of grey squirrels in priority areas across Scotland. We’ve faced significant challenges along the way, not least due to the impact of Covid-19, but there is a lot to celebrate, from red squirrels making a comeback in Aberdeen to the network of 18 volunteer groups now taking action across the south of Scotland. And it’s not the end for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels. In December we were delighted to announce that the project has secured funding from project partners and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to continue work for another two years, from April 2022 – March 2024. If you volunteer with us you can find out what this means for your group and your area on our Volunteer FAQ page.   What will we aim to achieve? Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has always been reliant on short-term funding cycles. Over the next two years we want to work with partners and other stakeholders to develop a more sustainable, permanent programme capable of securing the long-term survival of core red squirrel populations of ...