News: The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey returns in an important year for squirrel sightings

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is calling on the public to take part in the nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey between 20-26 September (National Red Squirrel Week). Now in its third year, the survey is needed more than ever due to the impact of Covid-19. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which… […]

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Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

…squirrel was captured, and since then local people have kept a sharp eye out to make sure there aren’t any others in the area. In Helensburgh however, no red squirrels had been recorded in living memory, only greys. That changed only two years ago with a report of a red squirrel on the outskirts of the town, followed by further… […]

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Leaping into the future

  This week marks the official end of ‘Developing Community Action’. The past five years have gone incredibly fast! So what happens next?   Funded by National Lottery Players, ‘Developing Community Action’ saw the SSRS team expand to its largest ever staffing level, with ambitious aims to boost our engagement with local communities, build a network of skilled volunteers and,… […]

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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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Introducing the newest faces of our scurry

…Conservation Officer for North East Scotland Emma joined us in April as our new Conservation Officer for North East Scotland, as a highly experienced red squirrel and pine marten researcher. Since starting the role, she has been focusing on the eradication of Aberde*]}*en’s urban grey squirrel population, returning reds to the parks and gardens of Aberde*]}*en and halting the spread […]

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HRH The Prince of Wales gives special thanks to volunteers on Red Squirrel Appreciation Day

…favourite nuts left out in an unguarded jacket pocket! I need hardly say that it is most encouraging when I see the thirty-nine organizations that make up the U.K. Squirrel Accord working together in harmony, and when I read of the Accord’s advancing research into practical grey squirrel control. Above all, it is enormously heartening to encounter the passionate enthusiasm… […]

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Invasive Non-Native Species Week 2025 – Behind the scenes

After escaping a zoo enclosure in 1971, a small number of grey squirrels quickly gained a foothold in Aberde*]}*en. Since 2009, SSRS has worked with local partners to reduce grey squirrel population density and distribution in the north east. Our work to date has been very successful, and we are now aiming to completely eradicate grey squirrels from the north […]

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This Year's Sightings