News: Report details red squirrel conservation successes, with key recommendations for the iconic species’ long-term future in Scotland.

…squirrels – which account for around 75% of the total UK population. Red squirrels are a protected species, but for many years have experienced declines due to the invasive non-native grey squirrel introduced to Britain from North America in Victorian times. Grey squirrels out-compete reds for food and living space and have rapidly replaced native red squirrel populations across most… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…Alert North-East campaign coordinated by Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Coincidentally I was also involved for many years in running a voluntary international network, the IUCN Specialist Group for Pheasants and other gamebirds (around 300 species worldwide, of which 25% are on the Red List and threatened with extinction). As a university academic, I loved to hate committees, but I got plenty… […]

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News: Over £1M in new funding awarded to aid red squirrel recovery in Scotland

…Our hopes and aims for next phase are ambitious, but ones that we absolutely can realise with increased landscape-scale investment from partners, stakeholders, landowners, and local community involvement. We are incredibly grateful to everyone already involved in red squirrel conservation across the country and look forward to bringing more people and organisations onboard with this important and vital work.” Dr… […]

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For nature, go native

non-native grey squirrels, pine martens and red squirrels have evolved to co-exist in our natural ecosystem. However, a new paper from Queen’s University Belfast and University of St Andrews suggests that in non-native conifer forests, the presence of pine martens may cause a decline in red squirrels. The predator’s appetite switches from grey squirrels – which are often absent in […]

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Community Hub FAQs

…Admin can advise, or if in doubt please contact us at squirrels@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk Can I set up a joint account on Hub e.g. Mr & Mrs Brown? We advise that you each have you own individual account on Hub, you may have different volunteer roles and we need to sign you up and ensure you are covered under the Trust’s insurance… […]

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Studying the life of the urban red squirrel

…nature in our towns and cities, particularly as urban growth and intensification increases. Although red squirrels have successfully adapted to live alongside us in urban areas, they still need access to native seed-bearing trees (instead of ornamental species often found in gardens) for high quality food sources and for building dreys, habitat corridors for movement, and protection from road traffic…. […]

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About Us

…All staff and volunteers participating in grey squirrel control are fully trained and must follow a strict protocol. Our management methods are designed to ensure public safety, and minimising any animal distress is uppermost in our consideration. The methods we have adopted have been deemed the most humane by the European Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (2005). *Note… […]

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Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

…Scottish Squirrel Group have been tasked with drafting an ambitious 50-year vision for red squirrel conservation in Scotland. The revised Strategy will cover a 10-year timeline (2025 – 2035) informed by this vision, and will be developed using the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Guidelines for Species Conservation Planning, the gold standard for species conservation planning which… […]

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Speakers FAQs

…Although not quite as good quality, another option is to record via Zoom. Simply hold a Zoom meeting by yourself, share your screen and record! If none of these options are available to you please get in touch so we can help. Tip for powerpoint recording When in recording mode, you need to stop the recording at the end of… […]

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Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

…a grid reference, however if you are unable to supply this you can drop a pin on the map and a grid reference will be generated. If you have any additional comments on behaviour or location these can be really helpful, especially if you live in a squirrelpox hotspot (the south of Scotland) and think a red squirrel looks poorly…. […]

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This Year's Sightings