A fresh appeal to mobile phone users visiting or living in Aberdeen has been launched today (11 March 2011) as part of a bid to help wildlife experts get a better picture of the population size and distribution of red and grey squirrels.
This is the second time ‘Text-a-Squirrel’ has been run in the area, urging city dwellers or visitors to report when and where they see squirrels in the city by sending a text message from their mobile phone.
Last autumn Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, a partnership project between Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland, and the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, launched the pilot scheme, thought to be the first of its kind in the UK, and project staff were thrilled with the local response
Hollie Walker, the North East Scotland Project Officer for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, said: “Last October, we received 154 squirrel sighting reports. This information helped us to get a picture of where red and grey squirrels are found in Aberdeen.
“Last time, we were surprised by reports that some people were even seeing red squirrels right in the heart of Aberdeen city. Now we would like to see how they have fared over the exceptionally hard winter.
“Most people carry a mobile phone when they are out and about, so we hope that the ease of texting will encourage more people to report their sighting when they spot a red or grey squirrel. The city environment lends itself to this sort of survey because it is easy for people to text in squirrel locations in sufficient detail to be useful to the project. ”
If you see a red or grey squirrel in Aberdeen between Friday 11 and Friday 25 March – National Science & Engineering Week – please report your sighting by texting the word RED or GREY, followed by where it was spotted – which could simply be a postcode, park name, street name or six-figure OS grid reference, followed by your name – to 88802.
You can also report squirrel sightings anywhere in Scotland via http://www.swt.org.uk/wildlife/squirrelsightings/. For further information on the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, go to www.scottishsquirrels.org.uk.
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Image caption: Hollie Walker, Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels Project Officer for the North East, launching 'Text-a-Squirrel' last year (c) Scottish Wildlife Trust / Newsline
For more information, additional images, or interview requests, please contact:
Nicola McGovern, the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s PR and Communications Manager
Email: nmcgovern@swt.org.uk
Tel: 0131 312 4742
Mob: 07705 608 264
Notes to Editors
* Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels aims to stop the decline of red squirrel populations in key areas of Scotland north of the Central Belt and to improve conditions for viable red squirrel populations across Scotland. It is a partnership project between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association. It is part of Scotland's Species Action Framework, which sets out a strategic approach to species management in Scotland. For more information, visit www.swt.org.uk.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) is a registered charity. It is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 34,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. SWT seeks to raise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 wildlife reserves Scotland-wide. www.swt.org.uk
* Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is the Scottish Government’s statutory advisor on the conservation, enhancement, enjoyment, understanding and sustainable use of the natural heritage. For further information on SNH, please visit www.snh.org.uk. SNH is a funding partner of the project.
* Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) serves as the forestry directorate of the Scottish Government, advising on and implementing forestry policy and managing the national forest estate. FCS is ensuring that the national forest estate plays its part in delivering the aims of project Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels.
* The Scottish Rural Property and Business Association (SRPBA) is the leading representative body for all land and rural property owners and land-based businesses in Scotland. It is a membership organisation comprising rural entrepreneurs, individuals and businesses that operate in rural Scotland. www.srpba.com
* In addition to financial support from the project partners, the SSRS project has received funding from a range of sources including the Albert George and Nancy Caroline Youngman Trust, Dulverton Trust, Englefield Charitable Trust, HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust, Lascelles Charitable Trust, Martin Connell Charitable Trust, Mitchell Trust, People’s Postcode Lottery, Robert O Curle Charitable Trust, Talteg Ltd and the Tennant Southpark Charitable Trust
* The work of SSRS in the North East has been specifically funded by Aberdeen Greenspace, Biffaward, Rural Aberdeenshire LEADER, and the Red Squirrel Survival Trust.
* Aberdeen Greenspace Trust Limited works with individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in and around the city of Aberdeen to develop access, increase biodiversity, carry out landscape improvements and provide information and interpretation. The trust is supported by Aberdeen City Council, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, all of whom nominate Directors to the trust. The company is enrolled as an Environmental Body with ENTRUST (Environmental Trust Scheme Regulatory Body), the government’s Landfill Community Fund Regulator.
* In 1997 Biffa Waste Services agreed to donate landfill tax credits to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) to administer under the fund name Biffaward. Grants made from the fund currently amount to £100 million, supporting many worthwhile projects. Biffa Waste Services Limited is one of the largest single suppliers of waste management services in the UK. It collects, treats, recovers and disposes of municipal, commercial and industrial waste nationwide. It is ultimately owned by a private equity consortium comprising Montagu Private Equity, Global Infrastructure Partners, Uberior Co-Investments Limited and other co-investors www.biffaward.org
* LEADER is an innovative rural development programme which aims to improve the quality of life and economic prosperity in rural communities through locally driven rural development initiatives and projects. In Aberdeenshire, LEADER is delivered by the Rural Aberdeenshire LAG to rural areas and communities with populations of up to 5,000. The Rural Aberdeenshire LAG is a Public/Private partnership comprising fourteen member organisations and focuses on two key themes, namely Revitalising Communities and Progressive Rural Economy.
* The Red Squirrel Survival Trust (RSST), whose Patron is HRH The Prince of Wales, is a UK charity established to ensure the conservation and protection of the red squirrel in the UK. RSST works in partnership with dedicated and knowledgeable local groups and projects around the country. RSST is providing support to the North East component of the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project. This is part of RSST’s wider scheme to protect the red squirrels of Scotland – RSST also supports RSSS.
* Red Squirrels in South Scotland Project (RSSS) is the sister project to SSRS working to stem the spread of pox carrying grey squirrels in south Scotland for the protection of red squirrels. Squirrelpox is a virus fatal to red squirrels but harmless to the grey squirrels which carry and spread it. Grey squirrels migrating north from Cumbria are bringing squirrelpox to Scotland. The work of RSSS is therefore essential to Scotland’s red squirrel population as a whole and to maintain southern Scotland as a stronghold for our native red. RSSS has been conducting and promoting grey squirrel control since 2000. www.redsquirrels.org.uk.
* Grampian Squirrel Group has existed for about 9 years in various forms and throughout that time has been working to help protect the red squirrel in Grampian from its grey cousin and envirommental degradation. It consists of a dedicated group of volunteers who have been helping to promote the red squirrels plight and to recruit like minded people to conduct formal surveys in red habitat. www.grampiansquirrelgroup.co.uk.