Help the Solway Forests with your best red squirrel snaps

  The Solway Forests Red Squirrel Network, one of the newest volunteer networks to emerge in South Scotland, is raising funds and awareness through an amateur photography competition.   Have you taken a red squirrel photograph that you’re particularly proud of? With their fondness for scurrying high amongst the trees, it’s not always easy to capture a red squirrel on… […]

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North East Scotland

North East Scotland Eradicating grey squirrels and bringing red squirrels back to the parks and gardens of Aberdeen The grey squirrel population in Aberdeen city is considered an “island population” due to it’s geographic and genetic isolation from the rest of mainland Britain’s grey squirrel population. The species was introduced to Aberdeen city in what is believed to be a… […]

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Spring into survey time

Original Author: Alexa Seagrave It’s February and preparations are well underway for the 2018 squirrel survey. Conservation Officer Alexa Seagrave explains what the survey is all about and why spring is such a great time to get outdoors and look for squirrels.   Last week we published the results of our 2017 squirrel survey, with the good news that overall… […]

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The road to recovery

Original Author: Dr Mel Tonkin, Project Manager   As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, we have a golden opportunity to ensure that red squirrels remain an integral part of Scotland’s landscape for generations to come.   There’s no quick fix to the decline of native red squirrels in Scotland, a decline which goes back 150 years to the introduction of… […]

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News: Duthie Park sighting marks a giant leap for Aberdeen’s red squirrels

  Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has received a red squirrel sighting near Duthie Park, one of the closest sightings to Aberdeen city centre in the project’s ten-year history.   The red squirrel was spotted in a garden north of Duthie Park, near the river Dee, an area that has only known grey squirrels for several decades. Grey squirrels were first… […]

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News: Great Scottish Squirrel Survey launched to boost protection for native reds

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is calling on people all over Scotland to take part in the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey between 23 – 29 September.   During this week (which coincides with National Red Squirrel Week) the Scottish public will be encouraged to spend some time exploring the outdoors while keeping a lookout for both red and grey squirrels. They… […]

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News: Take a red squirrel ramble with new digital walking routes

  A series of digitally guided walking routes have been launched by the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project to help visitors and locals discover more about one of the country’s most iconic yet threatened mammals.   Known for their red squirrel populations, the selected sites will provide an opportunity for a wild encounter whilst learning more about… […]

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Welcoming volunteers back into the field this Volunteers’ Week

  Covid-19 has presented a number of challenges since the start of the year and we are delighted to announce that, with the easing of restrictions, we can now begin to welcome wider Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels volunteers back into the field in perfect time for National Volunteers’ Week. We want to start by thanking everyone for their patience over… […]

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Pine martens: a natural ally

Author: Dr Mel Tonkin A new study has confirmed that Scotland’s recovering pine martens are having a positive effect on red squirrels. Conservationists have long suspected that pine martens could help control the spread of grey squirrels in Scotland, a theory that was bolstered when research conducted in Ireland in 2014 produced very promising results. Now a paper published in… […]

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This Year's Sightings