Red Squirrel 1.2 mill Fund

Red squirrels to benefit from a £1.2m National Lottery grant[
news/2010_jan/red_squirrel-1w

A new project to help secure the future of the UK’s native red squirrel has been launched, thanks to a £1.2million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Called Red Squirrels United, it is a new four-year programme that brings together eight partners from across the UK. The project will deliver key national conservation objectives with the aim of protecting red squirrels through communication, education and conservation activities.  It is supported by Government nature conservation agencies and the 32 organisations within the UK squirrel accord group.

Community-based rapid response teams will be created involving 1,250 volunteers who will be trained to conserve key red squirrel populations threatened by their interaction with non-native grey squirrels.  These volunteers will be supported by partner organisation staff, building the large networks of red squirrel champions essential for conservation success.

Partners will maintain grey squirrel-free habitat where it already exists, for example on the island of Anglesey and in Kielder Forest in northern England; extend current red squirrel protection zones in mid-Wales and Merseyside and implement a new whole country approach in Northern Ireland.  All conservation work will be rigorously monitored contributing to robust scientific research and evaluation to be undertaken by academic partners.

Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "We're delighted that HLF is supporting this fantastic project.  Our beautiful native red squirrels deserve our protection in every part of the UK where they can still thrive.  This investment will allow us to unite hundreds of people championing this charismatic creature into one UK force for good.  It will build on decades of hard work and passionate commitment. Thank you to players of the National Lottery for allowing this.”


The plight of the red squirrel is now recognised in local, regional, national and international conservation policies – it is featured in the Bern Convention, it is a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) and the red squirrel is afforded the highest level of protection under UK law, the Wildlife and Countryside Act.  Red squirrel strongholds are Scotland, the Lake District and Northumberland with some isolated, remnant populations further south in both England and Wales including Anglesey, Formby in Lancashire, Brownsea Island in Dorset and the Isle of Wight.

Red squirrels are able to live in any type of woodland but in the UK they are now mostly confined to conifer forests where they have a competitive advantage over the larger greys.  They do not hibernate.  They bury nuts to help provide food in the winter to supplement the year round supply of conifer seeds in mixed broadleaf and coniferous woodland.  Red squirrels build nests, called dreys, from sticks and moss placed high in the branches, where they produce two litters of three to four kittens a year.  The drey is often the first evidence of the presence of red squirrels in a wood.  Red squirrels can live for up to six years.  Red squirrels are not always red. They can be brown, almost black, or even quite grey, and can become blonde due to bleaching by the summer sunlight.

WS

That really is brilliant news WS and wonderful to hear of lottery funding being used to support the project.....makes a change from it supporting the arts. I don't do the lottery but maybe I should it really is exciting to hear such great support for our beautiful Red Squirrel so thanks for posting that WS.....I am genuinley smiling

littlewid-x-

I agree it does make a nice change to see this sort of funding from the lottery. We don't do it either, but we do have a go on the Health lottery Wed and Sat just one line

WS

Fingers crossed you get lucky on the health lottery WS . it would be nice if we saw more of the lottery funding to wildlife causes.....maybe this will be the start

littlewid-x-