Monitoring Success
One of the aims of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is to monitor the distribution of squirrels in our project areas and the success of grey squirrel control as a method of red squirrel conservation. This is done through analysis of all the trapping results available to the project and a programme of survey and monitoring. You can download the Evaluation Report For SSRS's first three years here.
We need your help to do this as effectively as possible. With accurate information we can target our work more closely and ensure we are putting our resources in areas where red squirrels need support most.
Trapping Results
Landowners or trap-loan scheme recipients can help us by providing us with records of both their trapping effort and their catch results on the forms we provide. This enables us to combine the results of everyone trapping in the landscape so that we can assess the effects of co-ordinated grey squirrel control and estimate how much control will need to be kept going as a management tool for the long term. Grey squirrel control is expensive - we need to keep our future spend at sustainable levels at the same time as achieving our aim of protecting Scotland's red squirrels. WE NEED YOUR RESULTS!
Surveys
Keen volunteers can help us by volunteering for our spring feeder-box surveys or walked squirrel sightings counts. In Argyll and Trossachs there are autumn surveys as well. The surveys contribute not only to the SSRS project, but to the long-term conservation approach that will be taken by government agencies for red squirrels.
You can read our report on the Spring 2012 surveys here.
Feedback wanted
What do you think of the content of the Spring 2012 Survey Report? Is it too technical/ too long/ about right/ not enough detail?
We want our reports to our volunteers to be something that gives you an idea of your essential part in the bigger picture, and let's you know the results from your particular patch. If you have any comments or suggestions, please email us and we will try to provide the kind of report you want.
Squirrel distribution records
We also need to continue to record squirrel distributions right across Scotland, so you can help by keeping your eyes peeled for both red and grey squirrels and report your squirrel sightings to us. This information will be recorded on the Scottish Squirrel Database, which is the national database that underpins much of our red squirrel conservation strategy.
Information for Consultants
The Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management has a downloadable Technical Guidance Series. Go to www.ieem.net to download their "Competencies for Species Survey: Red Squirrel" leaflet.
