Red Squirrels in the Great Park... One Day?

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thamesweb	Red Squirrels in the Great Park... One Day?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1821 (10-Jun-2009 09:09 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I have more than a passing interest in red squirrels, and an equal dislike of 'greys' which were a very unwelcome import from the USA, and which are the cause of the red squirrels demise in Windsor Great Park and elsewhere all over the UK. I include here therefore information about the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, launched in April and enjoying the substantial support of the Prince of Wales. Here is the Trust's Summer Newsletter Greetings! Welcome to the Red Squirrel Survival Trust's summer newsletter. The past few months have been incredibly exciting for us. We held our official launch on Friday 3rd April in Cumbria with HRH The Prince of Wales, our patron, delivering the keynote speech. There was a wonderful spirit of optimism and collaboration on the day - we are more confident than ever that with practical action, the red squirrel can be saved. More details on the launch can be found below. As for progress on the ground, this newsletter contains some exciting news on reds returning around the UK based on a report produced by Dr Craig Shuttleworth. We have also included an update from the excellent Red Squirrels in South Scotland project, which has established a grey squirrel control zone from coast to coast in southern Scotland. Finally, thank you to you all for the support you have given us in the important early stages of the charity's development. We are now looking to build on our early momentum by signing up new Friends of the charity. Many of you have already signed up - for which we are extremely grateful. Please do help us now to spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to friends who you think may be interested in the charity. By making a monthly donation of as little as £3 per month our Friends help to fund our essential work around the country to protect the red squirrel. We have seen that with the right support, reds will return to areas where they have been driven out by greys - with your help, we can assist them to fight back. There is a lot more about the Red Squirrel Survival Trust here. I would love to see 'reds' back in Windsor Great Park and I believe that the RSST can be instrumental in bringing about that delight. All they need is our support - and a little cash!
cranbourne		#1	[-]
Posts: 25 (10-Jun-2009 10:53 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Nice thought, Thamesweb, but there would have to be a serious control job done on the huge grey squirrel population first, or the reds would be out as quickly as they came in! Squirrel control is an 'in-house' issue, and is not really happening in the Park at the moment, and even though its a big problem for certain areas (Royal Landscape, for instance), there doesn't seem to be any definitive plan to deal with it. Same for our fluffy bunny friends. could be a long wait.
movingtoEngland		#2	[-]
Posts: 38 ( 3-Jul-2009 06:50 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	What are they doing exactly to help bring back the red squirrel? Are the red squirrels just being displaced or are their numbers actually diminishing? Are they exterminating grey squirrels to help accomplish their goal and if so, how are they going about it? I understand the problem, though it's still very sad. Sorry but I am a big softy when it comes to animals. I know people in the USA who hunt and eat squirrels, I can't imagine why. Last Edited By: movingtoEngland 3-Jul-2009 08:24 PM. Edited 1 times.
thamesweb	Red Squirrels	#3	[-]
Posts: 1900 ( 8-Jul-2009 08:11 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I think the new web site mentioned above is probably the best source of information but suffice to say that not everywhere in the UK can or will be repopulated because, as Cranbourne implies, there are too many greys in so many places. The reds are doing far better up north and in isolated sites such as Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, near Bournemouth. I for one would be happy to see tough controls introduced to limit the grey squirrel's habitats, and then a reintroduction of the red squirrel back into its old haunts. But this will inevitably take time, create some animosity from a section of the public who are not aware of what a pest (vermin) the greys are, and cost money. But we need to make the effort to right the wrong that was brought about in Victorian times.