…surveys per year, per volunteer, which is no small undertaking! In 2022 the north east team carried out more than 7000 feeder checks, the majority of which were carried out by volunteers. These volunteer surveys are at the very core of our operations at this stage in the eradication project, and the north east team would not have made the… […]
…has chaired three region-wide online meetings with almost all the squirrel groups represented. At its inception, the Forum was seen as a vehicle for obtaining grant-funding at scale and for the good of all. This summer Peter spearheaded a successful application to the Red Squirrel Survival Trust to equip any group lacking them with a thermal imaging scope and up… […]
…further dead red squirrels in and around Dunfermline, these can be posted to us for examination using these detailed guidelines” The first known outbreak of squirrelpox in Scotland occurred in 2007 near Lockerbie and since then the disease has arisen in various red squirrel populations across south Scotland. However, this is the first time that a case has been confirmed… […]
…control activities in the area. This will pave the way for a long-term southward shift of the current “Highland Line Control Zone” – the 10km zone stretching from Balloch to Montrose and buffering the diagonal Highland Boundary Fault Line, where Scotland’s Highland red-only squirrel population intersects with the most northly reaches of grey squirrels incurring from the Lowlands. These new… […]
…Central Lowlands, the effects could be devastating. This would pose a threat to Scotland’s core red squirrel populations in Argyll, Grampian and the Highlands should it breach the Highland Line into red territory that is currently free from grey squirrel competition. So what are we doing to monitor the situation? Right across the Central Lowlands, project staff and volunteers have… […]
…woodland habitat. Grey squirrel contraception is the subject of research, as is the development of a squirrelpox vaccine. However, these are a long way from being ready for use and may be insufficient on their own. There are suggestions that in the future Scotland’s recovering pine martens could also play a role in controlling grey squirrel numbers in some areas…. […]
…attach radio collars. Trapping was carried out in the National Trust-owned woodlands immediately adjacent to the town and in the residential gardens of local volunteers. The radio-collared individuals were then regularly tracked throughout the summer and their locations recorded, to investigate how red squirrels move around the town and make use of the available resources. Alongside the live-capture trapping and… […]
…data on red squirrel distribution and populations, disease surveillance, habitat management and review key lessons learned during the SSRS – Developing Community Action and Transition phases. Following on from the workshop series, the Scottish Squirrel Group met in person at the end of February to focus on the threat analysis and development of the key medium-term goals for the Strategy…. […]
…of Scotland. And it’s not the end for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels. In December we were delighted to announce that the project has secured funding from project partners and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to continue work for another two years, from April 2022 – March 2024. If you volunteer with us you can find out what this means for… […]
…regional guidance listed below for advice on remaining survey equipment. We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication that went into this year’s Spring Survey, and we hope that we can offer more opportunities in the future that you will find equally rewarding. There are all sorts of other ways you can get involved in the project, and… […]
