All things invasive with the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative

…adapted to their new environment, growing faster and out-competing our native species for space and food/nutrients. E.g. invasive plants out-compete our native wildflowers Predation; a predatory invasive species can have a significant effect on reducing the population of a native species. E.g. the significant impact on water voles by American mink predation Hybridisation; invasive species can interbreed with native species,… […]

Read More…

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… […]

Read More…

Great Scottish Squirrel Survey

…to our online sightings map. We anticipate that the data collected during the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey will be verified, collated and published by December 2023. View 2022 Great Scottish Squirrel Survey Results   Share your stories Share your Great Scottish Squirrel Survey photos and stories with us by using the hashtag #GreatScottishSquirrelSurvey. Don’t forget to follow us on twitter… […]

Read More…

News: Get squirrel spotting during the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey next week!

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is calling on members of the public to take part in the nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey now taking place between 10-16 October (National Red Squirrel Week). Now in its fourth year, the squirrel spotting campaign is hoping to build on the previous successes of this important effort. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is a partnership… […]

Read More…

Game-changing grant awarded to South Scotland volunteers

…sustain their surveying and monitoring efforts well into the future.   Find out more about the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland and what this grant means for conservation within the area at https://www.rsst.org.uk/blog/2020/9/16/scottish-borders-groups-bank-national-funding . Or visit the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Network Directory to find out more about red squirrel volunteer groups near you…. […]

Read More…

Spotting the elusive Scottish Red Squirrel

…head north to the coniferous forests of the Highlands where the reds still have a stronghold. You don’t actually need to go very far north, just enough to get away from the cities full of people and grey squirrels. Use our squirrel sightings map to see where you’re most likely to see red squirrels near you – https://scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings/. You don’t… […]

Read More…

See you in a few years…

…colleagues and working in one of the most accessible scenic areas in Scotland: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (www.lochlomond-trossachs.org). Along with all of my red squirrel friends (and grey squirrel “enemies”…), I have seen an amazing variety of wildlife, including: otters, pine marten, red deer, roe deer, goosanders, ravens, and even a slow worm in this poor summer…. […]

Read More…

This Year's Sightings