Red Squirrel Rambles

…Minutes Facilities: Parking, Public Toilets, Visitor Centre + More Public Transport Available Nearby: Yes Difficulty: Easy Wilderness Ranking: 2/3   Woodland Trusts’ St. Ronans Wood, Innerleithen | Scottish Borders With stunning views over the town of Innerleithen, we’ll be gently winding uphill and casting an eye through the treetops.   Duration: 30 Minutes Facilities: Parking Public Transport Available Nearby: Yes… […]

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

…baseline data across the project areas on squirrel presence/absence, grey squirrel management activity and volunteer demographics to establish the current range of volunteers as well as identify opportunities to encourage new volunteers. There will be a public awareness programme to inform the public on the relationship between squirrels and pine martens – a natural predator of squirrels, and the impact… […]

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How can mathematical modelling help save red squirrels in Scotland?

  When squirrelpox first arrived in the south of Scotland in 2005, there were fears that the virus would prove devastating to the region’s red squirrels. The project was also concerned that without conservation action the virus would continue to spread north towards Scotland’s core red squirrel populations in the Highlands. Prof Andy White of Heriot-Watt University and Dr Peter… […]

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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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New Frontiers for Volunteers

Original Author: Lorna Hutchison, Volunteer Lorna Hutchison, new volunteer for the Argyll & Trossachs project area, tells us the reasons she has recently started volunteering for the project.   As an undergraduate at university it was the hands-on, practical side of my biology degree that got me into conservation. Now having studied a Master’s degree in Sweden and worked in… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…Group. In his role as Chair, Peter is responsible for coordinating all volunteer efforts undertaken by the group, from surveys to targeted grey squirrel control. These efforts have been fundamental to the protection of local red squirrels from continuous incursions by the non-native grey squirrel and the effect of squirrelpox, the lethal virus that greys carry. The group is working… […]

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Coronavirus: all SSRS outdoor volunteer work suspended

…stop. You will not be covered by the Trust’s insurance policy while the suspension is in place, and will not be provided with additional materials. Volunteer expenses cannot be claimed for work carried out during this period.   Survey volunteers Please do not travel to your feeder boxes while the suspension is in place. Grey squirrel control volunteers (including both… […]

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

…of Scotland. Vital conservation work will continue in all the project’s priority areas to help mitigate some of the challenges the project has faced in recent years. Supported by project partners, the new phase will run from April 2022 to March 2024. Project Manager Dr Mel Tonkin said: “Thanks to the hard work of our staff, volunteers, landowners and partners… […]

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This Year's Sightings