Suspected squirrelpox cases on the Solway Coast

…are asking people living within these areas to be extra vigilant. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels without causing them any harm. However, if spread to red squirrels the disease is deadly. Red squirrels develop wet pus-filled lesions on their faces, particularly around the eyes, nose and mouth, as well as on their paws and genitalia. They become… […]

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Welcoming volunteers back into the field this Volunteers’ Week

…December volunteer announcement, grey squirrel control volunteers can continue their work in the field   We ask those looking to return to volunteering, to be proactive in monitoring changing Covid-19 guidelines in your local authority area, by regularly visiting https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/. Prior to commencing any new activities, a Covid-19 Risk Assessment will need to be reviewed. This can be accessed through… […]

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A lucky escape!

…of bait out in the hope of a few squirrels or maybe even a marten. The very first thing to find the bait was a marten! Then by day there were heaps of squirrels. See this link for a cool video of what is known, technically speaking, as a scurry of squirrels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rik6pGV0KlI All very nice, but imagine Gus’ surprise… […]

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All things invasive with the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative

…staggering 94% decline in native water vole populations? The American skunk-cabbage plant does actually smell as bad as a skunk….   White butterburr was imported as a garden ornamental from mainland Europe and SW Asia and escaped into the wild.   What is an Invasive Species? There are around 2,000 non-native plants and animals in the UK, these non-native species… […]

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A red squirrel first for Luss Estate

…volunteers have been contributing to our grey squirrel control work in the area, so it’s great to see their efforts finally paying off. One of the long-term goals in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park action plans, including ‘Wild Park 2020’, is working towards a long-term goal of maintaining the whole area as a ‘red-only’ zone.   An… […]

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Knowledge Fair – celebrating five years of community action

  In December over 100 SSRS volunteers, landowners and other supporters joined us online to celebrate the end of the project’s ‘Developing Community Action‘ phase. The two-day Knowledge Fair featured presentations and panel discussions on all that the project has achieved over the past five years. It was also an opportunity to learn more about the red squirrel conservation work… […]

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Terms of Service

…pages on the SSRS website. Such links should not suggest that your website, organisation or services/products are endorsed by SSRS. Please advise us of any links you make to the SSRS website. 1.9 Email addresses on the SSRS website The presence of email addresses on the SSRS website does not infer consent to send unsolicited commercial email to those addresses…. […]

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Reports of suspected squirrelpox near Cardrona

…digitally, or to print out and display in a car window or your home. Please refrain from displaying posters in public spaces at this time to adhere to government guidelines. Download Poster PDF | Download Poster Image For those living elsewhere in Tweeddale, please ensure that all garden feeding stations are regularly cleaned with an anti-viral solution such as Virkon… […]

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This Year's Sightings