Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

…a recent report of a grey squirrel seen near Loch Katrine was worrying and surprising, as it has been a stronghold for red squirrels for many years, and is some distance from the nearest grey squirrel population. Swift action ensured that the squirrel was captured, and since then local people have kept a sharp eye out to make sure there… […]

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North East Scotland

single, accidental, introduction event in 1971. Within a few decades, grey squirrels replaced red squirrels throughout Aberdeen city. As their numbers increased they also spread into rural areas along the Dee, beyond Banchory, and the Don, as far as Inverurie, posing a threat to the red squirrels in wider Aberdeenshire and to nearby populations in Moray and the Highlands. SSRS… […]

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

…its presence, the benchmark. As you will all know so well, these charming and intelligent creatures never fail to delight. I take enormous pleasure in having them around – and in! – the house when I am at home in Scotland. They are such inquisitive and delightful characters; they have even been known to hunt down a few of their… […]

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Studying the life of the urban red squirrel

…radio-tracking, a range of other data have been collected. These have included: monitoring the locations and causes of death in the population through post-mortems; determining habitat quality and availability through seed crop surveys and computer-based mapping; and evaluating the availability and impact of supplemental feeding via a public survey. A radio-collared red squirrel in a handling cone, which helps to… […]

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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 Aberdeen’s urban grey squirrel population, returning reds to the parks and gardens of Aberdeen and halting the spread… […]

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Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

Republished from 09/17/2021 by Victoria Chanin   The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey 2022 is right around the corner, and now in its fourth year, we are very excited to see this year’s results! For those who haven’t participated before, the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey is a week-long event in the autumn during National Red Squirrel Awareness Week when we call… […]

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Speakers FAQs

…questions to the panel. We will also have a set of pre-planned questions for each session to ensure no awkward silences! Will I receive CrowdComms training? Yes. Once the programme is finalised our CrowdComms technician will coordinate an online training session for all contributors. They will also provide guidance via email. What will happen to the presentations after the conference?… […]

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Coronavirus: all SSRS outdoor volunteer work suspended

…as soon as possible (with a 10 figure grid reference for each trap or a detailed location description). Where traps are currently set, our staff will endeavour to secure them shut if at all possible. This was not an easy decision to make. Together we have made great strides in recent years, and we are fully aware that this could… […]

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

…and squirrelpox is a major threat. The aim is to upskill these volunteers to enable them to continue red squirrel conservation work after the project comes to an end. Today there are 18 volunteer groups operating successfully across the region. Whilst some groups are ready to proceed with little further support from the project, others require further support to enable… […]

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This Year's Sightings