Hawick, Selkirk and Denholm Red Squirrel Network – One Year Later

…old) in assistance with set up and manning of the stall. Denholm Green Jubilee Event © Jan Ferguson Changes: Firstly, subject to approval at the next AGM, it has been proposed that the group change its identity and name. This is to consider areas not included in our original PARC where the residents feel unrepresented. Secondly, we hope to be… […]

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News: Help stop the spread of grey squirrels in the Mearns

…through competition for resources. Most worryingly they could also potentially bring the deadly squirrelpox virus, which isn’t currently present in Aberdeenshire, with them. This virus doesn’t harm grey squirrels but it is deadly for reds. It would be devastating for Scotland’s squirrels if squirrelpox is allowed to spread into the north of the country. “There are a number of ways… […]

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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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Red squirrels and biosecurity

  Professor Ronald J Roberts, Chairman of Bradan Biosecurity, discusses the importance of strong biosecurity protocols and how they can protect Scotland’s red squirrels from the threat of squirrelpox. He is a veterinary surgeon who has personally been involved in the development and testing of Virkon ®S, a broad-spectrum disinfectant, for the last 20 years. Virkon ®S is used across… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

project in March 2022. Peter comments “I am pleased to receive this award, alongside three other winners who have achieved great things in their own ways for SWT. To my surprise, I have now been involved with red squirrel conservation for three decades. It all started with a Newcastle University research project in Kielder Forest as part of the Red… […]

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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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News: Red letter day – Plean’s first red squirrel entered home through letterbox

…absence, we’ve also had recent sightings in Dunblane and Doune. Stirlingshire is an important area for red squirrel conservation because it is on the boundary between Scotland’s core red squirrel populations in the Highlands and the populations of grey squirrels that are found across the Central Belt. Grey squirrels are a non-native invasive species that was introduced to Britain from… […]

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North East towns at the forefront of efforts to save Scotland’s red squirrels

…The grey squirrel is an invasive species that was introduced to Britain from North America. They out-compete red squirrels for food and living space and some also carry squirrelpox, a virus that doesn’t harm grey squirrels but is deadly to reds. Grey squirrels were first introduced to Aberdeen in the 1970s, rapidly spreading throughout the city and into surrounding Aberdeenshire,… […]

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Community Hub

…of an independent volunteer group in the south of Scotland you can access additional Hub features by joining your local network group (you’ll need to register to create an account first). Once you have joined someone will be in touch to discuss your volunteering role, or add you to the private grey squirrel control and/or survey groups if applicable.  … […]

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This Year's Sightings