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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To feed or not to feed?

…disinfectant (obtainable from pet supplies or the RSPB) before refilling with food. Provide a source of water if it is not naturally available. When should I feed squirrels and how often? Sometimes red squirrels can become dependent on supplementary food. Try to avoid feeding them in such amounts that they don’t need to look elsewhere! It is best to feed… […]

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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

…how widespread grey squirrels had become. For the previous 25 years, my wife and I had been living on the edge of a Scots pine forest near Hexham in Northumberland, where for a long period we had plenty of reds visiting our garden. We even organised aerial ropeways to feeders on our window frames, giving us even closer views! Then… […]

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Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

…data on red squirrel distribution and populations, disease surveillance, habitat management and review key lessons learned during the SSRS – Developing Community Action and Transition phases. Following on from the workshop series, the Scottish Squirrel Group met in person at the end of February to focus on the threat analysis and development of the key medium-term goals for the Strategy…. […]

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Call for Scots to become a nation of squirrel spotters this Red Squirrel Week

…where dedicated squirrel spotters can register and keep a personal record of their squirrel sightings. “The comprehensive mapping allows them to view their own squirrel conservation data as well as all of the project’s long-term data. It’s a great way for people to see how their efforts are contributing to changes over time. “It’s also a meeting point where volunteers… […]

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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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This Year's Sightings