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

…squirrels is now largely contained within Aberdeen’s city limits and red squirrels are increasingly seen in the city’s parks and gardens. Grey squirrels spreading from Angus into Aberdeenshire not only threatens the local red squirrel population in the Mearns but it could also jeopardise the project’s success in Aberdeen. The introduction of squirrelpox into North East Scotland could be devastating… […]

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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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Knowledge Fair – celebrating five years of community action

  In December over 100 SSRS volunteers, landowners and other supporters joined us online to celebrate the end of the project’s ‘Developing Community Action‘ phase. The two-day Knowledge Fair featured presentations and panel discussions on all that the project has achieved over the past five years. It was also an opportunity to learn more about the red squirrel conservation work… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…to ten camera traps. This game-changing grant will make monitoring surveys more robust, grey squirrel control more effective and public engagement activities even more captivating, right across South Scotland. These initiatives by Peter at Forum level already go some way towards ensuring that community-led squirrel conservation work will continue uninterrupted beyond the end of the current phase of the SSRS… […]

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

  The first recorded red squirrel in Plean near Stirling in many years was spotted in the most unlikely of places – a local resident’s living room.   William Higgins was surprised to find the animal frantically scrambling around his home last month. He said: “I was in the kitchen when I thought I heard the post being delivered. When… […]

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

…causing the region’s red squirrel populations to decline rapidly. Years of grey squirrel control work carried out by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has already removed grey squirrels from much of Aberdeenshire, allowing red squirrels to return to places such as Ellon and even some parts of Aberdeen. A 2017 survey conducted by the project indicated that red squirrel populations in… […]

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

…in areas less accessible to volunteers. Other: Data and Monitoring: the SSRS Community Hub, an online nation-wide squirrel distribution monitoring and management database and volunteer support system, should continue to inform the co-ordination of red squirrel protection measures. The Scottish Squirrel Group – consisting of a wide range of government departments, agencies, and NGOs – should be reconvened to revise… […]

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New Conservation Officer calls for the public to help protect red squirrels in the Scottish Borders

…monitoring squirrel populations across Scotland since 2004. Sightings from the public are important because they help us measure the impact of our work and decide where to focus our efforts. “Our 2018 sightings map currently shows that while there are still places in the Scottish Borders with healthy red squirrel populations, other areas now have grey squirrel sightings only. However,… […]

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SSRS Knowledge Fair

SSRS Knowledge Fair: celebrating five years of developing community action   3-4 December 2021 As our ‘Developing Community Action’ phase comes to an end we will be celebrating all the project has achieved alongside our partners, volunteers, landowners and supporters. This virtual Knowledge Fair will also provide an opportunity to learn more about red squirrel conservation work happening across Scotland… […]

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This Year's Sightings