…specific volunteer openings can be found on the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Volunteering Opportunities page. Do keep in touch with your local Conservation Officer or Community Engagement Officer if you have any questions or concerns. What should I do with my 2020 Spring Survey kit? Please read over the guidance and instructions below for your survey area: North East If… […]
…have since displaced red squirrels in most of England and Wales, with more than 75% of the UK’s total remaining population residing in Scotland today. Over the next two years the new funding will enable the creation of new community focused rapid response monitoring and control networks across the northern Central Lowlands, made possible by increased year-round professional grey squirrel… […]
…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… […]
…commercial conifers – to red squirrels. The researchers, together with Ulster Wildlife, bring into question red squirrel conservation strategies that focus on the planting of such forests. Scotland’s conifer forests In Scotland, non-native conifer forests are planted for commercial purposes. By the 1930s red squirrel populations were in serious decline in the UK, but the extensive conifer planting that… […]
…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… […]
…dead red squirrel carcasses found to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies for post-mortem analysis.” People can report their sightings of both red and grey squirrels at scottishsquirrels.org.uk. Details for how to post carcasses to the Vet School and how to effectively clean feeders can also be found on the site. Although Squirrelpox is not considered harmful to humans,… […]
…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… […]
…project’s spring surveys in both 2020 and 2021. These annual systematic surveys, which used baited squirrel-hair sampling boxes at over 200 specific locations, provided robust distribution data for both red and grey squirrels that was invaluable for comparing the fortunes of squirrels from year-to-year. Project Manager Dr Mel Tonkin said: “Without the spring survey data, we need the help of… […]
A record number of squirrel sightings were reported by the public during September’s Great Scottish Squirrel Survey. 2,100 people – three times the number who took part in the first national survey in 2019 – logged over 3,000 sightings of red and grey squirrels, creating a Scotland-wide snapshot and providing valuable data for conservationists. The Great Scottish Squirrel… […]
…in key strategic areas. In your area Our partners and funders Developing community action In 2017, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels began a new phase called ‘Developing Community Action’. Alongside vital conservation work, the project focused on engaging with local communities and individuals, inspiring them to take action to protect red squirrels where they live. This phase ended in… […]
