Original Author: Paul McDonald
Paul McDonald, Project Officer for Argyll & the Trossachs, is very sad to be leaving the project this week. Please continue to report your sightings on this website!
Sadly, this is my last week working as Project Officer for Saving Scotland’s Red squirrels. I’ve had a very interesting year of work, with some great colleagues and working in one of the most accessible scenic areas in Scotland: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (www.lochlomond-trossachs.org). Along with all of my red squirrel friends (and grey squirrel “enemies”…), I have seen an amazing variety of wildlife, including: otters, pine marten, red deer, roe deer, goosanders, ravens, and even a slow worm in this poor summer.
I am leaving this position to start training as a science/biology teacher, in order to have a greater influence on people’s love and understanding of the natural world. Those of you who read this probably don’t need to be encouraged to enjoy and learn about wildlife, but far too many adults don’t care about nature and don’t engage with it. My goal is to try and encourage children to understand and enjoy their place in nature and, hopefully, encourage them to protect it more than their parents are now. Get ’em while they’re young, huh…?
The new project Officer will start working in September, so don’t be too disheartened if the Argyll and The Trossachs Project Officer does not reply before then! Also, please keep reporting your sightings of red AND grey squirrels on this website. It’s vital to our work!
So long, and thanks for all the peanuts!