An Autumn Overview of Tree ID

…time of year whereas most cone-bearing coniferous trees that have needles, stay green year-round. Some of Scotland’s oldest native trees are coniferous, such as Scots Pine. A fun fact about another native coniferous tree, Juniper, is that it has stems that are fragrant throughout – it isn’t just their distinctive, infamous berries that are aromatic!   Finding clues So what… […]

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Southern Uplands Partnership Guest Blog: Funding Success for Red Squirrel Recovery Network

…Trust and a team of partners progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date. During the 12-month development phase the countrywide team will develop the methodology for large scale grey squirrel fertility control, plan audience engagement and activity programmes and write a conservation plan. In addition, team members will work together to collect… […]

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How can mathematical modelling help save red squirrels in Scotland?

  When squirrelpox first arrived in the south of Scotland in 2005, there were fears that the virus would prove devastating to the region’s red squirrels. The project was also concerned that without conservation action the virus would continue to spread north towards Scotland’s core red squirrel populations in the Highlands. Prof Andy White of Heriot-Watt University and Dr Peter… […]

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SNOW DAY!

…fox, field vole trails, pheasants, and a variety of crows. I was fortunate enough to even find the trail of an otter, bounding through the snow, in and out of the Endrick! Unfortunately, I didn’t find any squirrel trails or sign in the nearby woods. King of all he surveys! Image: Paul McDonald.   Without any squirrel sign, I decided… […]

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New Frontiers for Volunteers

…New Mexico, I’ve come home to see what I can do here in Scotland to help our native wildlife survive against threats of foreign diseases and invasive species. In Sweden I studied conservation biology and became especially interested in disease ecology, invasive species and wildlife management. I then moved from Sweden to a field station in New Mexico to work… […]

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This Year's Sightings