SSRS Tayside
Ken Neil is Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) Project Officer for North East Scotland. Find how you can get help from Ken or support his work. Contact Ken.
Action in Tayside
Ken explains: “Tayside is still home to very widespread red squirrel populations. However, grey squirrels began to spread from Perth and the Central Belt in the 1980s and red squirrels have slowly disappeared from some areas, particularly around towns, as a result. Unless grey squirrel spread is stopped, red squirrels will continue to disappear, as they have done in the Central Belt. We still have a chance to prevent this by acting now.”
In Tayside, SSRS aims to prevent grey squirrels spreading into new areas from parts of Perthshire and Angus. A continued spread of grey squirrels would not only threaten the red squirrels in Tayside itself but also, in the longer-term, Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Highland.
The upland scenery of the north part of Tayside, with its large unforested areas, should help SSRS to target grey squirrel control and prevent them from becoming established north of the lowland areas of Strathearn and Strathmore.
By establishing a network of key individuals and landowners all working together for red squirrel conservation, we can act now to help red squirrels survive in Tayside. At the same time, SSRS will work to improve habitats for red squirrels widely across Tayside. This work will allow Tayside to have larger and more robust red squirrel populations that can better withstand the challenges to their survival.
By monitoring changes in squirrel distribution, with help from the public, SSRS is gathering information to help decide where to direct efforts and determine the effectiveness of our work.
SSRS Support
Ken can help landowners access funding for red squirrel conservation work and give guidance on forest management to benefit red squirrels.
A trap loan scheme, with support and training available, is now running for landowners and householders in key target areas in Tayside. Contact Ken to find out more.
You can also help SSRS by volunteering to survey areas local to you or by reporting your squirrel sightings.
Find out about the places you can visit to see red squirrels in Tayside and other areas across Scotland.
Thanks to our funders
In addition to financial support from project partners, SSRS has received funding from a range of sources.
The work of SSRS in Tayside has been specifically funded by the Gannochy Trust, LEADER Tayside, Robertson Trust, and SITA Tayside Biodiversity Fund.
SSRS would like to thank all our funders for generously contributing to our project.
