News: First death of red squirrel from squirrelpox virus confirmed north of Scotland’s Central Belt

…concerned about this latest news and are asking the local community in Dunfermline to take immediate action and protect red squirrels by taking in all garden and woodland wildlife feeders for the next month, as these can contribute to the spread of the disease from greys to reds and between reds once infected. We are also asking for everybody to… […]

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News: ‘Booster’ project will protect Scotland’s red squirrels for another two years

them to become fully community-led. In the North East, the project has worked towards the removal of an isolated population of grey squirrels that was introduced to Aberdeen in the 1970s and spread to the surrounding countryside. Today, grey squirrels are largely limited to the centre of the city and eradication is considered achievable. In the Central Lowlands, grey squirrels… […]

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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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Southern Uplands Partnership Guest Blog: Funding Success for Red Squirrel Recovery Network

they may have on both reds and greys. During the delivery phase, the project will establish the governance for a community grant, provided by the RSRN, to local community groups in the delivery phase enabling them to undertake their own red squirrel conservation projects. Southern Uplands Partnership will be in touch with South Scotland groups and partners soon to confirm… […]

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Seasonal Squirrels Part 3: Autumn!

As the warmth and brightness of summer give way to the colourful leaves and shorter days of autumn, the Scottish red squirrel is at their most active on the forest floor – caching food for the colder months ahead. The behaviour of red squirrels in autumn offers a window into the natural rhythm of the seasons, and it is the […]

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Leaping into the future

…and Lochearn will also be monitored. In the south of Scotland the project will maintain a co-ordinating overview of grey squirrel control efforts by land managers and volunteers within the priority areas for red squirrel conservation (PARCs). Our Grey Squirrel Control Officers will focus on the Upper Tweed, the Nithsdale and the Annandale PARCs. Existing volunteer groups which are not… […]

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Trees for Life Guest Blog: Boosting red squirrel populations throughout the Highlands

The award-winning environmental charity Trees for Life stands at the forefront of rewilding in the Scottish Highlands, and for over 30 years has been working to nurture and expand ancient woodland fragments and reintroduce missing animals. Red squirrels are an iconic Scottish species and a key resident of the Caledonian forest, but habitat loss from deforestation, human persecution, and competition… […]

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Argyll, Trossachs & Stirling

…threaten their survival. These grey squirrels not only out-compete reds, some also carry the deadly squirrelpox virus. If their spread was allowed to continue, Scotland’s red squirrel stronghold in the southern Highlands would be at serious risk. The aim in this region is containment of the grey squirrel population to prevent further inroads being made on Scotland’s core red squirrel… […]

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Get Involved

…and a Community Engagement Officer dedicated to protecting key red squirrel populations with the help of landowners and volunteers Campaigns to spread the word about the lives of red squirrels, the problems that they face and the wider appreciation of Scotland’s wildlife and work to protect it. Donations to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project are processed by the Scottish… […]

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RZSS Guest blog – Red squirrel recovery – a local success story

…this, there are many people throughout the country who have never seen a red squirrel due to the catastrophic declines they have suffered since non-native grey squirrels were introduced to the UK beginning in the 1890s; red squirrels are currently listed as an endangered species in the UK, and without conservation action are at risk of being driven to extinction…. […]

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This Year's Sightings