Scots urged to help ‘iconic’ species by being squirrel spotters

Scots are being urged to turn into wildlife spotters and play their half in serving to to preserve the “iconic” purple squirrel.

The nationwide Nice Scottish Squirrel Survey is going down from Monday October 10 to Sunday October 16 – Nationwide Pink Squirrel Week.

Organisers mentioned that by reporting any sightings of purple or gray squirrels, individuals may help specialists observe the species throughout Scotland.

The Nice Scottish Squirrel Survey is now in its fourth yr. (Scottish Wildlife Belief/PA)

The Saving Scotland’s Pink Squirrels venture, led by the Scottish Wildlife Belief, works in key areas to shield native purple squirrels from the unfold of the non-native gray.

Programme supervisor Nicole Nonetheless mentioned: “The general public play a vital position in our work and purple squirrel conservation throughout Scotland.

“The sightings information collected provides us helpful insights on how the scenario with each purple and gray squirrels is altering.

“The Nice Scottish Squirrel Survey permits us to check information between years, which is de facto useful in understanding the influence our efforts are having over time and the place extra assist is required.

“Appearing as a squirrel spotter while you're out and about and reporting a squirrel sighting is easy and implies that everybody can have an element to play in conserving our iconic purple squirrel.”

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Victoria Chanin, venture officer in south Scotland, mentioned: “Pink Squirrel Week is a good time to get exterior for an autumnal stroll.

“Participating with nature on this approach may be very useful for individuals’s wellbeing and including sightings of purple and gray squirrels to our on-line map helps us to maintain observe of squirrel actions in Scotland.”

Eileen Stuart, deputy director of nature and local weather change at NatureScot – previously generally known as Scottish Pure Heritage – mentioned: “With invasive non-native species posing one of many largest threats to our biodiversity, NatureScot is happy to assist the Saving Scotland’s Pink Squirrel venture, which is efficiently working to assist shield the much-loved purple squirrel.

“Nationwide Pink Squirrel Week presents everybody a chance to get entangled on this very important work whereas connecting with nature, and we’d encourage individuals to get recording their sightings and assist this necessary venture.”

Extra details about the squirrel survey may be discovered on-line at scottishsquirrels.org.uk/great-scottish-squirrel-survey.