Vital protections for red squirrels at risk

…squirrel numbers, are only just beginning to recover following decades of persecution. If we wait until these species are on the brink of extinction, it may already be too late to save them. In response, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels lead partner the Scottish Wildlife Trust has co-signed an open letter to the JNCC, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and NatureScot… […]

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South Scotland

…Landowners Landowners in certain areas can apply for support to control grey squirrels under Forestry Grant Scheme funding, or join a local trap-loan scheme. Woodland owners, meanwhile, can adjust the management of their woods to benefit red squirrels. Please contact your local SSRS or Scottish Forestry staff for more information.   Area Contacts Steve McKillop Lead Control Officer smckillop@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk  … […]

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Introducing the new Eastern Lowlands Red Squirrel Group

…doing red squirrel conservation? Are you a landowner, land manager, keeper, forester, pest controller, home owner or similar? If so, we are interested in what you currently do to contribute towards red squirrel conservation. That could be any of the following: Manage woodlands for the the benefit of red squirrels Report red and grey squirrel sightings to SSRS Perform structured… […]

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Red Squirrel Rambles

…the forests of Dumfries and Galloway in an interactive app that will guide you on your adventure. Explore with the opportunity of wild encounters, discover more about red squirrels, complete challenges and collect tokens as you go. And of course, if you see a squirrel while walking, we want to hear about it!   Download a Red Squirrel Ramble today… […]

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News: Critical red squirrel conservation aided by public citizen science efforts

…staff, volunteers and partners understand how the distribution of each species is changing over time, where efforts should be prioritised. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot. For further information please contact Katie Berry, kberry@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk, 0131 312 4719 or 07388 994610… […]

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Leaping into the future

  This week marks the official end of ‘Developing Community Action’. The past five years have gone incredibly fast! So what happens next?   Funded by National Lottery Players, ‘Developing Community Action’ saw the SSRS team expand to its largest ever staffing level, with ambitious aims to boost our engagement with local communities, build a network of skilled volunteers and,… […]

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An Introduction to Squirrels in Scotland

…on woodland habitat, and where this is altered, due to development, or change in land use, this can lead to isolated populations of red squirrels, making it harder for them to survive. Not only do red squirrels serve as the inspiration for many of our favourite childhood stories, they also play a vital role within the ecosystem. Red squirrels play… […]

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News: Get squirrel spotting during the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey next week!

…out-compete reds for food and living space and can also carry squirrelpox, a virus that doesn’t harm them but is fatal to reds. Squirrel sightings, which are collected year-round, help the National Lottery-funded SSRS project to understand how the distribution of each species is changing over time, and can also alert staff to situations where grey squirrels are posing an… […]

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New threat to Perthshire’s red squirrels as greys reappear in Aberfeldy

…squirrels. A non-native invasive species, grey squirrels out-compete reds for food and living space and can also carry squirrelpox, a virus which doesn’t harm them but is fatal to red squirrels. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is a National Lottery-funded partnership project, led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which is working in key areas across Scotland to reduce the spread… […]

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This Year's Sightings