…squirrel numbers low enough to reduce the chance of grey squirrel passing the disease to local red squirrels. Thanks to grey squirrel control work by staff, landowners and volunteers, the virus has spread as quickly Central Belt as first initially expected. However, complete containment has proved difficult and the disease continues to slowly expand. In a radical change of strategy,… […]
…Aberfeldy area to keep your eyes peeled for grey squirrels and report any sightings direct to our project website, scottishsquirrels.org.uk.” Grey squirrels were introduced to Scotland’s Central Belt in Victorian times and have since spread across the country, in many places completely replacing the native red squirrel population. At present the only way to prevent this spread is through targeted… […]
…exercise. During this time, looking for squirrels and reporting sightings can also be a great way to continue engaging with nature. All sightings can be reported through our website at https://scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings/. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in this year’s survey for their hard work and dedication to the protection of red squirrels across Scotland…. […]
…enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. These volunteers ma ke contributions at every level; from fundraising and public awareness to survey and monitoring to grey squirrel trapping and dispatch . Earlier this month, we published a new guide for these groups on how to build a volunteer network . This easy to follow guide contains everything you need to know from setting… […]
…area to please remove wildlife feeders from your gardens in order to avoid spreading the disease to healthy red squirrels visiting the feeders. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels without causing them any harm. However, if spread to red squirrels the disease is deadly. Feeding stations can encourage both species to come into close contact and increase the… […]
…virus on red squirrel populations in real Scottish landscapes. The approach has been pioneered by Prof. Andy White and his team at Heriot-Watt University, and the models are a cost-effective approach to guide and help maximise the success of conservation efforts. To date these models have been used to assess the risk of squirrelpox virus spread in Scotland, the effectiveness… […]
…issuing new guidance with immediate effect. Grey squirrel control volunteers (including both trap-hosts and dispatchers) Registered Scottish Wildlife Trust volunteers undertaking grey squirrel control are able to continue with this essential work, provided that existing guidance (issued on 11/06/2020) is adhered to and a Covid-19 Risk Assessment has been completed and reviewed. The Covid-19 Risk Assessment can be accessed… […]
Today marks Red Squirrel Appreciation Day, a time to celebrate one of our most treasured native species and those that have been working selflessly to protect them. Our conservation efforts would not be possible without the tremendous help of our enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers, and today our gratitude is echoed in an open letter from HRH The Prince of… […]
…contributing to an annual spring survey which involved 4 feeder visits over a 6 week period. All other fieldwork was conducted by staff. However, in more recent times, as grey squirrel density continues to drop – recently quite dramatically – in order to continue to remove grey squirrels at a rate exceeding their ability to reproduce, essentially, the north east… […]
…to be reviewed by the government. We will keep all our volunteers fully informed, and if you have any questions or concerns you can contact us at squirrels@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk or via your local Community Engagement Officer or Conservation Officer. With the potential loss of spring survey data, squirrel sightings will be more important than ever. So if you are outside to… […]
