THE Scottish Wildlife Trust has announced the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project has secured funding for a two-year transitional project phase.
The “booster” phase will enable the project to complete its aims and plan for the long-term future, leaving a legacy of sustainable red squirrel conservation across the south of Scotland.
Supported by project partners, the new phase will run from April next year to March 2024. Vital conservation work will continue in priority areas to help mitigate some of the challenges the project has faced in recent years.
Project manager Dr Mel Tonkin said: “Thanks to the hard work of our staff, volunteers, landowners and partners we’ve seen some fantastic success stories in the past five years. But the project has also faced challenges, particularly due to the impact of Covid-19.
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“During lockdown much of our grey squirrel control and survey work was suspended. This additional two years will help us further secure the red squirrel’s place amongst Scotland’s special native wildlife.”
Scottish Wildlife Trust chief executive Jo Pike added: “We’re delighted to have secured funding to enable the two-year transition phase to take place. The strength of the collaboration between partners, the quality of the data and evidence gathering and the extraordinary contribution from volunteers have all combined to make this a project that is rightly viewed as an exemplar of invasive non-native species control. We very much look forward to continuing the important work to secure the future of red squirrels in Scotland.”
Grey squirrels continue to pose the greatest threat to red squirrels in Scotland, out-competing reds for food and living space.
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