Grey squirrel control: connecting the dots

  If you are volunteering your time to help with grey squirrel control in your local patch, you might feel like your efforts are a drop in the ocean. But stay connected with the project and you’ll see the difference we can make when we all work together.   The greatest threat to the red squirrel’s future in Scotland is… […]

Read More…

The SSRS scurry grows!

We recently welcomed a new Eradication Coordinator to our North East team to lead on the intensive surveying and monitoring work to remove the island population of grey squirrels in Aberdeen and the surrounding areas.   Stephany Arroyo Arce, North East Eradication Coordinator “For the past ten years I’ve been immersed in the fascinating world of wild cat conservation in… […]

Read More…

An update on the Heathhall squirrelpox outbreak

Original Author: Dr Stephanie Johnstone One month on, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels believe that the squirrelpox outbreak in Heathhall no longer poses an immediate threat to the local red squirrel population. However, we still need ongoing support from volunteers and the wider community.   Spotting a red squirrel on your morning walk should be something to get excited about, a… […]

Read More…

Saving Red Squirrels in the Glenkens

  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… […]

Read More…

Three creative ways to go squirrel spotting this Red Squirrel Week

  National Red Squirrel Awareness Week is a time for one of our favourite activities – squirrel spotting. Our Great Scottish Squirrel Survey is a fun opportunity for all the family to enjoy the great outdoors looking out for tufted ears and bushy tails, so why not get creative with how you’ll be taking part this year?   One of… […]

Read More…

Game-changing grant awarded to South Scotland volunteers

  Last month the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland was awarded a game-changing grant from the Red Squirrel Survival Trust to help protect local red squirrels in Southern Scotland with innovative equipment.   Collaboration and community action are crucial to the long-term survival of red squirrels in Scotland, and in the South, dedicated red squirrel volunteer groups are leading… […]

Read More…

Fife Squirrelpox Update

  In April, the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies confirmed the first death of a red squirrel from the squirrelpox virus north of Scotland’s Central Belt, having conducted tests on a dead squirrel found near Dunfermline in Fife. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels which, whilst not affecting them, can be lethal when passed… […]

Read More…

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 covers their back garden with… […]

Read More…

Winter’s Squirrels

Original Author: Steve Willis, Project Officer North-east Scotland Winter is here! What does it all mean for red squirrels? The temperature is dropping all across Scotland and many parts of the country have had their first snow falls. How does this change in the season affect the red squirrel? Like us, they experience shorter days and much cooler temperatures.  … […]

Read More…

This Year's Sightings