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

…absence, we’ve also had recent sightings in Dunblane and Doune. Stirlingshire is an important area for red squirrel conservation because it is on the boundary between Scotland’s core red squirrel populations in the Highlands and the populations of grey squirrels that are found across the Central Belt. Grey squirrels are a non-native invasive species that was introduced to Britain from… […]

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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

…we’ve seen some fantastic success stories in the past five years. But the project has also faced challenges, particularly due to the impact of Covid-19. During lockdown much of our grey squirrel control and survey work was suspended. This additional two years will help us further secure the red squirrel’s place amongst Scotland’s special native wildlife.” Scottish Wildlife Trust Chief… […]

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To feed or not to feed?

…D’ added to a dish of drinking water, bone meal added to the dry feed mix, or a cuttlefish, bone or antler placed near to the feeder. This is especially valuable during summer for juvenile and female squirrels. Apples and carrots can also reduce the chances of calcium deficiency occurring, and are an important part of the food you provide…. […]

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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

…have a small army of over 50 local contacts on the lookout for both species, with more people asking to join in, and tourists doing their bit as well. When doing our hopper surveys in 2015, we were in a position to detect greys, but completely failed to do so. Even though there were sightings during our survey periods, no… […]

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

…highly invasive grey squirrel could also spread further into the Grampians and the Highlands, threatening Scotland’s largest populations of red squirrels. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is encouraging people to report sightings of both red and grey squirrels online. The project is also looking for volunteers in the area to support its vital conservation work. Sarah Woodfin, Monitoring Officer, North East… […]

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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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Red squirrels and biosecurity

  Professor Ronald J Roberts, Chairman of Bradan Biosecurity, discusses the importance of strong biosecurity protocols and how they can protect Scotland’s red squirrels from the threat of squirrelpox. He is a veterinary surgeon who has personally been involved in the development and testing of Virkon ®S, a broad-spectrum disinfectant, for the last 20 years. Virkon ®S is used across… […]

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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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This Year's Sightings