…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… […]
Original Author: Paul McDonald, Project Officer for Argyll, the Trossachs and Stirling Paul McDonald, Project Officer for Argyll, the Trossachs and Stirling, has fun in the snow. One of the advantages of my position being three days per week is that I can take advantage of the weather. Today (Tuesday March 3rd), I woke up to discover that several… […]
…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… […]
…as a field technician and research assistant studying rodent populations and testing two methods for controlling the plague (Yersinia pestis) a.k.a. Black Death. There I gained a lot of hands-on experience trapping and handling rats, mice, squirrels and chipmunks, as well as the odd striped and spotted skunks (striped skunk below). Next, after 2 and a half years away I… […]
