Author: Steph McIvor

How Red is the North of England?

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Red Squirrels Northern England have produced these maps below showing where red squirrel presence in Cumbria and the North East of England has been recorded so far in 2015, from January through to October. The maps combine red squirrel sightings reported by the public with data supplied by RSNE’s own rangers and by the NRS voluntary red squirrel groups, together with the results of RSNE’s own squirrel monitoring programme.

The 2014 red squirrel sightings and grey control maps produced by RSNE for the North East and North West of England, Lancashire & Merseyside and the Yorkshire Dales can be seen here>>

Cumbria

Cumbria reds Jan to Oct 2015 (2)

North East of EnglandRed sightings north east Jan to Oct 2015

Mid Wales Red Squirrel Partnership – Autumn 2015

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MWRSP-logoIn this Autumn newsletter we get an update on the Vincent Wildlife Trust’s pine marten restoration project, find out what’s been popping up on our trail cameras and get an insight into Matthew Hand’s theory of ‘Speculative Species Dispersal’. We also learn about how to deal with ‘by-catch’ and get a glimpse into goings on at Pontrhydfendigaid’s community woodland, Coed Y Bont; and there’s more .. read on>>

Westmorland Red Squirrels – Autumn 2015

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Troutbeck stoat

Troutbeck stoat

WRS LogoThe possibility of re-introducing the Pine Marten for controlling grey squirrels is causing quite a stir in squirrel circles. In this issue we have two articles to put you in the picture – one by Dr Emma Sheehy of the University of Aberdeen and the other by David Bavin, Project Officer for The Vincent Wildlife Trust.

Read more>>

Wildlife Ark Trust Appeal

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The Wildlife Ark Trust have launched a fundraising appeal on the JustGiving platform for £189,000 to pay for the modification of the Squirrel Pox Vaccine candidate. They are optimistic that if enough people become aware of the appeal their target will be hit.

Symptoms of Squirrel Pox Virus

Symptoms of Squirrel Pox Virus

The hope is that if the message about the Wildlife Ark Trust appeal on JustGiving can get enough publicity it will go viral; the only difference being that on this occasion a ‘virus’ will be saving the red squirrels not killing them.

If you would like to help the appeal please let all your friends know about it then tell their friends about it and so on? The link to the JustGiving page is: http://goo.gl//ttGuBj

A social media ‘virus’ would also be a massive boost for the campaign. Thank you

Message from Nick Mason, RSNE Project Manager

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Two pieces of news to share :

  • The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts has confirmed that the Heritage Lottery Fund have offered £1.2m of grant aid towards red squirrel conservation across Northern Ireland, Wales and northern England subject to the successful completion of development works this winter – as per the attached press release>>. If successful, the project will help RSNE continue our programme and provide across to new networking and learning opportunities for all RSNE partners and community groups with other red squirrel projects across the UK over four years.
  • The team are running two Conservation Gatherings on Saturday October 17th – we would love you and interested colleagues to attend:
  1. North East
  1. North West

RSNE logoMany thanks for all the support.

Nick Mason
RSNE Project Manager

Morpeth & District Red Squirrels – Summer 2015

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MAD logoMorpeth and District Red Squirrels (MADRS) continues to go from strength to strength. We are really pleased to welcome another 9 grey controllers to the group who are all helping in the constant regime of grey control to help ensure the survival of our native reds. From January through to June, MADRS has collectively removed 553 greys. A huge Thank You to everyone who contributes to this vital work as without it, our native iconic red squirrel would not survive.

Read more>>

Confor Woodland Show 2015

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Confor full logoThe Confor Woodland Show 2015 is being held on 10 / 11 September 2015 on the Longleat Estate.  For full details, see the event flyer here>>

An item on the re-introduction of the Pine Marten for grey squirrel control may be of interest – whichever side of the debate you’re on.

Q&A Panel: Species introduction

9.45 – 11.00 – 11 September 2015 in the Confor marquee

Chair: Dougal Driver

Introduction: Ian Gambles, Forestry Commission England

Panel: Jonathan Spencer (Forestry Commission); Emma Sheehy (Aberdeen University); Vincent Wildife Trust; Derek Gow; and, BASC.

Join Confor for a bacon butty and put your questions to the panel.  The subject of species re-introduction is one that arouses polarised opinions.  The moral argument is put forward that we exterminated these species so we should bring them back. Others note that they were exterminated for a reason, and that the factors that made them extinct in the first place e.g. habitat loss and hunting, need to have been dealt with before a re-introduction can take place. There is a legal side to it involving UN conservation body the IUCN, which requires member states to consider re-introducing species that have become extinct for, say, conservation management. This debate will focus on beavers for watercourse management and Pine martens for grey squirrel control.

ESI Launches New Red Squirrel Book

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Red Squirrels - Ecology Conservation Management in EuropeA new book on red squirrel management and conservation in the UK and across Europe, the first of its kind for 20 years, has been published by the European Squirrel Initiative. Red Squirrels: Ecology, Conservation & Management in Europe is essential reading for those with an interest in red squirrel conservation and ecology and the authors hope to have contributed to a wider debate.

The book ties together subjects covering habitat, ecology, disease, conservation and population management of the red squirrel, as well as its complex interaction with the North American grey squirrel. Written by world renowned experts, this review of current research and practice is accessible to the non-scientist as well as to those studying ecology and conservation.

Edited by: Craig M. Shuttleworth, Honorary Visiting Research Fellow, Bangor University; Peter W.W. Lurz, Honorary Fellow, University of Edinburgh and Matthew W. Hayward, Senior Lecturer in Conservation, Bangor University
ISBN: 978-0-9547576-1-8
Cover Price: £20.00
Published by and available from: European Squirrel Initiative>>