Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

…2015-2025.   Robyn Stewart, Species and Habitats Officer & Red Squirrel Species Lead at RSPB Scotland, tells us more:   The current Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation has been primarily delivered through the partnership project Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels – initially though its Developing Community Action phase (2017 – 2022) and more recently in its Transition phase (2022-2024). With… […]

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

…Developing Community Action phase of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels can be viewed at scottishsquirrels.org.uk/publications/ Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and supported by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, along with other partners. For further information please contact: Katie Berry, squirrels@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk 0131 312 4717… […]

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About Us

…grey squirrel trapping? At this time, halting further spread of grey squirrels in strategically targeted areas is the only viable option to fully protect the strong red squirrel populations we still have across Scotland. Trapping or shooting* are the only available means of doing this in Scotland. The SSRS project utilises live cage-trapping according to best practice guidelines, and then… […]

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Squirrelpox: Staying ahead of the spread

  Squirrelpox has posed a threat to native red squirrels in southern Scotland since the mid 2000s, and whilst targeted grey squirrel control efforts have been proven to slow the spread of the virus, they cannot prevent its spread – it is therefore important to be vigilant, informed and well prepared. Today we’re taking a look at how monitoring efforts… […]

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New faces and farewells

…looked after our administrative needs beautifully in that time and we wish him well in his next adventure. Katie, meanwhile has been off on her own adventures taking part in Osprey Watch at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s reserve Loch of the Lowes near Dunkeld. Here Katie joined a dedicated team of staff and volunteers monitoring and protecting ospreys on the… […]

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Can red squirrels weather the storm?

…if a drey was destroyed they wouldn’t become homeless overnight. Of course, it is entirely possible that some red squirrels (and other wildlife) have been harmed as a result of Storm Arwen and Storm Barra, although measuring this would be a very difficult task. Certainly some sources of food will have been lost. However, we can take comfort knowing just… […]

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Studying the life of the urban red squirrel

…the global population are predicted to be living in urban areas by 2050, altering the natural environment and presenting new challenges for our wildlife species. Historically, urban areas have been ignored as suitable wildlife habitats. However, there is increasing evidence that these environments can have plentiful resources and support a wide range of biodiversity, so there has been a growing… […]

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News: Moffat’s red squirrels and golden eagles team up to give native wildlife a boost

…carefully provide our golden eagle juveniles with supplementary food, as their parents would do in a natural situation, until they settle and can find local food sources for themselves. With conservation at the heart of our project, we source the youngsters’ food from a wide range of pre-existing sources. It is fantastic to get support from long standing ethical management… […]

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Call for Scots to become a nation of squirrel spotters this Red Squirrel Week

…red and grey squirrel sightings or by getting involved with a local volunteer group. Over 5000 squirrel sightings were reported in 2017 but with the launch of their new Hub, SSRS is this year looking to hit the 10,000 target. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Project Manager, Dr Mel Tonkin said: “For Red Squirrel Week, we’re launching a brand new website… […]

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This Year's Sightings