Volunteer
You can volunteer your time to help Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels in a number of simple ways:
Do you live in Tayside? We are working with Forestry Commission Scotland to carry out some red squirrel conservation work on the west bank of the Tay near Stanley. A series of population surveys are now being planned in both Taymount and 5 Mile Woods. Surveys will be carried out along a set of "transect" lines of one kilometer in length across each woodland. They will be done in the early mornings when squirrels are most active. Help is being sought from volunteer surveyors from nearby towns and villages. If you are interested adopting a survey line in either wood and paying three visits this autumn plus three more at a later date, please get in touch with the Tayside project officer on 01382 611028 or by e-mail at redsquirrel.project@dundeecity.gov.uk
Volunteer Surveyors. We need volunteers to help us complete targeted surveys to detect grey squirrels in areas where we have few records to date, and to detect either red or grey squirrel recolonisation of areas where the project has carried out targeted grey squirrel control activity. Volunteers may be asked to look after some of our squirrel feeder-box hair-traps, undertake early morning squirrel counts or help us to collect local knowledge of squirrel presence or absence. This information is essential for building a record of our project's success. This could persuade more people to get involved with the project and maintain their red squirrel conservation activities over the longer term. With accurate information we can also target our work more closely and ensure we are putting our resources in areas where red squirrels need support most. Training is available.
Monitor a squirrel feeder in your own garden. Install a squirrel feeder and keep a log of red and grey squirrels seen visiting the garden, sending a copy in to your regional project officer twice a year. Download our information sheets on how to make your own feeder and keep a squirrel record log.
If you live in areas of particular interest to the project, you may be eligible to look after a project squirrel feeder in return for a record of squirrel activity in your garden.
Build your CV by volunteering as a data-assistant. All our project officers have large amounts of data to process. You could help free them up for more pro-active tasks by assisting with data-input. Training will be given.
Contact us your local SSRS project officer with any volunteering requests and offers today
