Improving Habitats
One of the objectives of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is to encourage and assist in habitat improvements for red squirrels by working with landowners to maximise the benefit of their forests for red squirrels to help them thrive and increase in number.
Commercial forestry has a cycle of habitat suitability for red squirrels as areas mature, are felled and replanted. Careful forest planning can maximise the benefits of the cycle on red squirrel populations. By providing a mix of conifer species and carefully staggered planting to help ensure a continuity of food supply, and using techniques such as long-term retention and felling in smaller areas, whilst ensuring that a network between forests and woodlands remains intact, catastrophic red squirrel population changes can be avoided.
Funding is available for landowners to help with habitat improvements which are red squirrel friendly and also work towards achieving broader biodiversity objectives for your area. SSRS project officers can provide advice on red squirrel friendly forest management techniques which are eligible for grant funding. Project officers are experienced in drawing up successful applications for funding for this purpose and are on hand to help landowners with the application process. Contact us today.
A useful summary of SRDP grant funding for red squirrel conservation is also provided by Forestry Commission.
SSRS, in association with Forestry Commission Scotland, is currently developing a Woodland Management Advice Booklet, which will be available in spring 2010.
SSRS is also collaborating in Forestry Commission Scotland’s creation of red squirrel stronghold woodlands, which will act as long-term refuges if grey squirrels spread over the whole of Scotland continues despite our project’s best endeavours. Large forest networks of national importance have been chosen as ‘strongholds’ and SSRS will help provide site-specific red squirrel management recommendations to help to sustain these sites’ red squirrel populations into the future.
