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

online as part of September’s third annual ‘Great Scottish Squirrel Survey’ campaign. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and includes NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, Scottish Land & Estates, RSPB Scotland and the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. In 2017 the project was awarded £2.46 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project has… […]

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To feed or not to feed?

Original Author: Alexa Seagrave   We often get asked about feeding red squirrels, and the very best thing you can do is make your garden as wildlife friendly as possible.   Planting native shrubs and small trees for berries and nuts will provide the best natural food for free and give the best nutrition. So get out there and plant… […]

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Join the Hub

…to protect local red squirrel populations. Registered users can keep track of their squirrel sightings, and join a local red squirrel network to connect with others in your area. Once you have become a Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels volunteer you’ll also be able to use the Hub to access training resources and materials and submit and view your data online…. […]

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Community action in Galloway

…squirrel conservationists of the future! Citizen Science Whilst we are still waiting to see a pine marten on our bird table at home, we do enjoy living with our very visible reds. I have set up a census (currently of around 20 gardens) to track the local population trend. Each month I collect two numbers from each participant: the greatest… […]

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

…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 for the core populations of red squirrels in the north of Scotland. For more information about volunteering with Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels visit scottishsquirrels.org.uk.   VIEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES… […]

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Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

…Scottish Squirrel Group have been tasked with drafting an ambitious 50-year vision for red squirrel conservation in Scotland. The revised Strategy will cover a 10-year timeline (2025 – 2035) informed by this vision, and will be developed using the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Guidelines for Species Conservation Planning, the gold standard for species conservation planning which… […]

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Red squirrels and biosecurity

…in East Anglia in the 1980’s and has gradually moved northwards. Red squirrels, (Sciurus vulgaris) our native species, are under threat from loss of habitat and competition with the larger introduced grey squirrel. Now it has been found that when there is cross-infection with the pox virus from grey squirrel carriers, eradication of the reds can be around 20% faster… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…In 2018 Peter was asked by SSRS to found the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland as the umbrella organisation run by volunteers for all the volunteers in the squirrel groups and networks (now 18 with around 350 members) in South Scotland. The Forum acts as a bridge with other red squirrel organisations in the UK, helping to keep the… […]

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This Year's Sightings