News: Over £1M in new funding awarded to aid red squirrel recovery in Scotland

…2009 to protect Scotland’s iconic red squirrels, whose populations are under threat from the spread of the invasive non-native grey squirrel. Greys outcompete red squirrels for food and living space and can carry the squirrelpox virus which does not harm them but is deadly to reds. Greys were first introduced to the UK from North America by the Victorians and… […]

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Busy breeding

…onwards sibling groups of juveniles venturing out and playing together, often during the day   WHAT YOU CAN DO If you find an ill or injured squirrel or young in need of help, contact the SSPCA who can care for them. If you are lucky enough to spot squirrel families or young ones venturing out, registering your sightings, and sharing… […]

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News: ‘Booster’ project will protect Scotland’s red squirrels for another two years

  The Scottish Wildlife Trust is pleased to announce that the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project has secured initial funding for a two-year transitional project phase in April 2022.   This ‘booster’ phase will enable the project to complete its aims and plan for the long-term future, leaving a legacy of sustainable and community-led red squirrel conservation across the south… […]

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News: Record participation in national squirrel survey

…year for the species. The boom follows an exceptional beech seed crop last autumn, leading to earlier and more productive breeding this spring, and lockdown prevented the early intervention that would normally have contained this increased production. The widespread reporting of red squirrels in this survey, run in September after work resumed, gives us comfort that the red squirrel has… […]

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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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For nature, go native

commercial conifers – to red squirrels. The researchers, together with Ulster Wildlife, bring into question red squirrel conservation strategies that focus on the planting of such forests.   Scotland’s conifer forests In Scotland, non-native conifer forests are planted for commercial purposes. By the 1930s red squirrel populations were in serious decline in the UK, but the extensive conifer planting that… […]

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This Year's Sightings