For nature, go native

  Research carried out in Northern Ireland has highlighted the importance of native woodland for the long-term protection of red squirrels. The research modelled red squirrel populations in non-native conifer forests with the presence of pine martens— a natural predator to the red squirrel in both Scotland and Northern Ireland. Pine martens had been persecuted […]

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Studying the life of the urban red squirrel

  Kat Fingland joined SSRS in May 2021 as the new Conservation Officer for South West Scotland. Prior to starting the role, she has spent the past five years researching the red squirrels of Formby, Merseyside, for her PhD at Nottingham Trent University, studying how red squirrels have adapted to live alongside people in urban […]

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News: New research underway to trace the steps of urban squirrels

  Ground-breaking research which aims to better understand how grey squirrels use the urban environment will take place in Aberdeen this year.   The study is led by Dr Louise de Raad, Research Fellow at Inverness College UHI, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, in collaboration with the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving […]

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Pine martens: a natural ally

Author: Dr Mel Tonkin A new study has confirmed that Scotland’s recovering pine martens are having a positive effect on red squirrels. Conservationists have long suspected that pine martens could help control the spread of grey squirrels in Scotland, a theory that was bolstered when research conducted in Ireland in 2014 produced very promising results. […]

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