To feed or not to feed?

therefore during the summer months before fruits, conifer seed and nuts are ripe, when their natural food is in short supply. In autumn when plenty of natural food is available, the squirrels may stop coming to your garden, but they will probably return in the winter. Continued feeding throughout the winter will also provide an additional boost to the squirrels… […]

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Join the Hub

Join the Hub Community action is the key to the long-term survival of Scotland’s red squirrels. The Hub is a space for our supporters and volunteers to keep up to date with the project and connect with like-minded people working to protect local red squirrel populations. Registered users can keep track of their squirrel sightings, and join a local red… […]

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News: Red letter day – Plean’s first red squirrel entered home through letterbox

…I went to pick up the mail I found the wee rascal running around the living room at a hundred miles an hour, all over the furniture. “I just wanted to let him out without hurting him. He went for the window so I lifted the blinds and opened it. He saw the opening and was off like lightning.” The […]

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North East towns at the forefront of efforts to save Scotland’s red squirrels

them completely. Members of the public are being asked to help by reporting any squirrel sightings (red and grey) on the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels website, scottishsquirrels.org.uk. The project is also developing a Mearns Red Squirrel Community Group. Anyone interested in getting involved with red squirrel conservation work across the Mearns area can contact Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels at squirrels@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk…. […]

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New Conservation Officer calls for the public to help protect red squirrels in the Scottish Borders

the more sightings we receive the better our understanding will be.” Grey squirrels are a non-native species that was first introduced to Britain in Victorian times, and they are recognised as the main threat to the red squirrel’s future in Scotland. Larger and more robust, they out-compete native reds for resources. In the south of Scotland some grey squirrels also… […]

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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 gro ups have been invaluable in collective conservation efforts to date in South Scotland and are led by… […]

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Call for Scots to become a nation of squirrel spotters this Red Squirrel Week

…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… […]

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Reports of suspected squirrelpox near Cardrona

…area to please remove wildlife feeders from your gardens in order to avoid spreading the disease to healthy red squirrels visiting the feeders. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels without causing them any harm. However, if spread to red squirrels the disease is deadly. Feeding stations can encourage both species to come into close contact and increase the […]

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An Autumn Overview of Tree ID

…as the pine needles are soft if you run your hand over them. Also, the cones are described as large cigars. Douglas Fir is remembered as “groovy Dougie” as the bark is really grooved. And Scots Pine, as the bark is red towards the top, is remembered for its ginger resemblance like all things truly Scottish – including our native… […]

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New Frontiers for Volunteers

their red squirrels are relatively common and healthy compared to ours. They aren’t battling a larger competitor, nor the diseases brought by them, like our red squirrels are. Squirrel pox is a horrible, debilitating disease that kills the red squirrels that is carried by (some) grey squirrels which seem to be immune to the disease. If we could reduce the […]

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This Year's Sightings