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

…can be reported to us at scottishsquirrels.org.uk.” Since 2009, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has been working in the North East of Scotland to eradicate an ‘island’ population of grey squirrels, which was introduced in the 1970s and is isolated from the rest of the Scottish population. Once widespread in Aberdeenshire along the rivers Dee and Don, this population of grey… […]

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Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

…aims to produce a practical, evidence-based and realistic approach to species recovery even in the current era of the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. The main 50-year vision informing the new Strategy is to achieve the recovery of red squirrels in Scotland; to see healthy, self-sustaining populations which are capable of fulfilling their ecological role throughout their… […]

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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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Building a Volunteer Network

…I was able to initiate things very easily by making the Gatehouse Squirrel Group a project under a pre-existing local charity/company with an environmental slant (Gatehouse Development Initiative). I simply presented the GDI committee with a one-page constitution and that was that. This meant I had a Treasurer and a bank account from day one. ” There are two structures… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…to raise awareness of the plight of the red squirrel and inspire others to take action in and around Gatehouse through social media and public engagement. Over 20 households undertake monthly garden counts, which encourage people to take a close look and enjoy their visitors on a daily basis. This is a simple citizen science project which allows the group… […]

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

…website, scottishsquirrels.org.uk. The data helps the project monitor population changes over time and decide where to focus conservation efforts. Mary-Anne added: “It’s incredibly exciting that red squirrels appear to be making a comeback in Plean and other parts of Stirlingshire, but we’d like to see more evidence. Everyone can help by keeping an eye out and reporting their sightings online.”… […]

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

…Executive Jo Pike said: “We’re delighted to have secured funding to enable the two-year transition phase to take place. The strength of the collaboration between partners, the quality of the data and evidence gathering, and the extraordinary contribution from volunteers have all combined to make this a project that is rightly viewed as an exemplar of invasive non-native species control…. […]

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Reports of suspected squirrelpox near Cardrona

…Officer, Sarah Cooper at scooper@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk. Unfortunately, at this time, SSRS are unable to fully confirm the presence of squirrelpox as the experts who carry out post mortem investigations are currently not operating due to coronavirus restrictions. However, photographs and videos of the squirrel are extremely useful in helping determine whether symptoms correlate with those presented by squirrelpox. Please note, that… […]

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

…Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels summarises the methods, achievements, challenges, and crucial lessons learned over the five-year nation-wide endeavour, and outlines recommendations to ensure a legacy of continued successful red squirrel conservation in Scotland into the future. The project aimed to find sustainable and affordable ways by which to halt the decline, and enable reestablishment in some areas, of Scotland’s red… […]

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A red squirrel first for Luss Estate

…Arrochar red squirrel spotted for the first time © Fiona Jackson   These recent sightings are a reason to celebrate, but continued conservation effort will be essential to ensure this trend continues. To keep up momentum and ensure our work is as effective as possible, we need more detailed information on what’s happening on the ground. Whether you’re a local… […]

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This Year's Sightings