Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…and his generosity in sharing his ideas with everybody so welcome! Peter has definitely become a leading force in getting the squirrel volunteers of South Scotland united by making it simple for squirrel groups to communicate with each other. I am very much looking forward to what he comes up with next and I can’t wait to work together to […]

Read More…

Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

…Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) now moving into a new phase, the project is being restructured and partners are working on developing more sustainable, long-term solutions to deliver key actions for red squirrel conservation. The revision of the current Scottish Strategy is a hugely important step in steering effective conservation action for red squirrel over the coming years, and the… […]

Read More…

Studying the life of the urban red squirrel

…practices (i.e. cleaning feeders regularly and with disinfectant) for reducing the risk of squirrelpox outbreaks. For the final chapter of my thesis, I aim to collate all of my findings to produce management recommendations for the study site and other red squirrel strongholds, in order to benefit long-term conservation efforts. We need to make sure that we make space for […]

Read More…

Partners & Funders

…Trust manages a network of 100 wildlife reserves across Scotland and is a member of the UK-wide Wildlife Trusts movement. The Trust champions red squirrels through its policy and campaigning work, and has made a long-term commitment to red squirrel conservation since 2009. It is the lead partner and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the project. Visit website… […]

Read More…

North East Volunteer Spotlight: Celebrating our volunteer Janice Drew as she moves on to pastures new!

…during summer.…far more than I record on my butterfly transect! Sadly, visits ceased as storm Arwen decimated Straloch woods.” “However, as Emma points out we need to be “everywhere at once”. I was rapidly redeployed to Victoria and Westburn parks and Bucksburn/Stoneywood. The surprise and delight in finding red squirrel hair samples in Victoria Park on my first visit and… […]

Read More…

News: First death of red squirrel from squirrelpox virus confirmed north of Scotland’s Central Belt

…scottishsquirrels.org.uk, along with emailing photos of sick reds to squirrels@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk. Details for how to post carcasses to the Vet School can also be found on the site. Although squirrelpox is not considered harmful to humans, anyone who sees a sick red squirrel is advised not to approach it, but instead contact the project for advice. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is… […]

Read More…

One small step for Perthshire’s reds

…efforts to remove the threat.   It has been observed throughout the UK that when grey squirrels move into an area, the local red squirrel population is gradually replaced due to competition for resources such as food and living space. Although grey squirrels occur in Dunkeld, this is generally the northern limit of their range in Perthshire. Sightings of greys… […]

Read More…

Trees for Life Guest Blog: Boosting red squirrel populations throughout the Highlands

…grey squirrels in the Highlands thanks to longstanding SSRS and partner efforts. Large areas of open ground in some areas also help to limit the risks of grey expansion into the reds’ core range. Populations of red squirrels have traditionally been confined to the central and eastern Highlands. Thanks to the Red Squirrel Reintroduction Project, reds are continuing to be… […]

Read More…

Squirrelpox: Staying ahead of the spread

for red squirrels and, in the longer term, reduce the rate of transmission of the virus. If you are interested in getting involved to help slow the spread of squirrelpox , please get in touch, or read our Squirrelpox Action in the Central Lowlands Toolkit for more information. Read the full report: Squirrelpox Detection in the Central Lowlands 2017-2020  … […]

Read More…

This Year's Sightings