Life in The World of Squirrels

The Gruffalo Helps

2010-12-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

As odd as the title sounds, the Gruffalo, the well known hairy beast from the minds of Axel Scheffler and Julia Donaldson, is helping red squirrels in the UK.
To be precise, drawings of the Gruffalo are being auctioned off on ebay to raise money for red squirrels. Signed original sketches of the famous monster, along with sketches of some of Axel's other characters, went on sale on 3rd December 2010. The auction runs for 10 days, so if you happen tyo see this before 12noon on Monday 13th December, get onto ebay and bid for one!

All funds raised will go directly to Save our Squirrels.
If you miss the auction, limited edition prints of the artwork will go on sale on ebay after Xmas 2010, so visit www.saveoursquirrels.org for the latest details as to when this will happen. There will be a direct link, as now, to the live auctions.

Also have a look out for Axel's newest book, How to Keep a Pet Squirrel. A truely charming book about how one should ensure a oet squirrel is kept happy - based on an entry in a children's encyclopedia dating from 1910.

The book is available on Amazon or through the SoS website. Money from the sale of this book also supports red squiggs, so get buying! :-)

Happy Christmas to you all!

Barbeque Baby!

2010-07-01T03:42:00.000-07:00

Save Our Squirrels is hard at work organising its summer barbeque for 31st July. We are holding it near SOS territory, which will make storage and logistics SO much easier as we have a whole bunch of stuff which needs moving about!

The theme is Alien Invaders, to bring attention to the awesome destructive power of invasive non-native species like the eastern grey squirrel, which is doing so much damage to our beloved reds. But that's not all! There'll be representation from marine people, too! There are many invasive non-native species swimming about in our oceans, lakes and rivers which needs careful observation and sensitive control.

Our aims at this event are to raise awareness for types of invasive non-natives and to advise you about a sustainable and responsible way of cohabiting with your environment. Because it is your environment, which you hold in trust for everyone else and generations to come. It is your job, my job and the people you know's jobs to keep the biological balance even and be mindful enough of your surroundings to retain as much as you can of what makes Britain great. Events like the Alien Invaders BBQ are opportunities not to be missed, so back your car full of your friends and family and spend a sunny afternoon doing your part.

AND it'll be so much fun, you might explode. I know I'm excited. In fact, I'm not sure I want you to come now. More delicious foods for me!

New Blood!

2010-05-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

I suppose I ought to introduce myself. I have recently started (week two! Woo!) as a Community Engagement Assistant at the northern office of Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Along with the existing team and another CEA, I will be promoting the SoS project in the Cumbria area. Suffice it to say that I am enjoying it enormously so far and it's a project which promises to challenge me in new ways for a worthy cause. I have chosen the soubriquet Squirrel Nutkin because a) it's squirrely, duh; and b) it's a mild homage to Beatrix Potter, something of a local icon.

A little bit about me. I am originally from Cumbria and therefore familiar with the local area and the culture of the county, allowing me to tailor my efforts to greatest effect, which helps, because that's my job! I am involved in volunteer work within the community, so working at Save Our Squirrels is a natural extension of my previous experience. If I can find a way to blend these together, all the better! I'm all about the synergy.

So, what am I doing here? I'm scheduled to stay here until November, by which time I hope to have made a significant impact on everyone out there. I will be working closely with SoS affiliates and Squirrelpaws to increase awareness for our organisation and, more importantly, our little furry friend, the red squirrel or sciurus vulgaris. I shan't spoil the surprise, but we have some interesting things planned in the coming months which you won't want to miss! I hope to have raised the profile of Save Our Squirrels significantly by the time I leave.

As I write this, we're just getting down to business. Squirrelpaws has left us CEAs to fend for ourselves for the afternoon while she does very important business in far away Geordie land.

Last week, beyond the admin involved with starting work somewhere new, we got to meet the team at the head office in their lovely building which makes us all very envious and also visit Whinlatter Forest Park west of Keswick. It was a new experience for me as I hadn't been there as an adult and it seemed much smaller than when I last went! (OK, I was about nine, but I don't see how that's relevant...) I'll be guiding visitors around a squirrel trail before long, so keep an eye out for a bemused person wandering around in an SoS t-shirt and try not to get eaten by any wildlife while on the walk because I don't know what to do if it happens and nobody will tell me...oh, and I saw a red squirrel, too, which made my day!

But anyway! That's me. More to come, no doubt, as time progresses. But for now, I'll wish you all a Squirrely week!

Saving Reds - The Next Phase

2010-05-14T04:24:00.000-07:00

Hi again, its been a while since I last updated this because I wasn't quite sure what to put. The red squirrel conservation world has been in something of a limbo for several months now, while "The Future" is decided upon. The strategies, the people or organisation who should be involved, who are involved already, what roles they should or do play and of course how its going to get paid for is all up for discussion. Now being led by the government, Natural England and the Forestry Commission, there are many things I cannot say here and frankly I'm too far down the food chain to know all of the ins and outs anyway, but what I can say is that there is finally movement. This can only be a good thing as by hesitating, one often loses the game.

The last phase of squiggy conservation has been led by the Save our Squirrels Project - see earlier blog entry on what they do, but essentially they are made up of a partnership of lots of other organistaions including the Wildlife Trusts and NE/FC to deliver the stratgey that they all decided upon. SoS works with the volunteer groups and local communities to protect the red. In the next phase, which I'm told at this point will kick off in about September 2010 (watch the British press for media releases on this later in the year), there will be an even bigger project, predominantly aimed at culling the introduced grey squirrels (the indistputeable main reason for the reds decline), which will be led by the government i.e. their money mostly, but delivered in partnership by whoever wins the contract for the work. Watch this space.

So while things are definately on the move again, there are still many unknowns. What I do know, however, is that without ongoing financial support, in a big way, the work will not happen and Tufty will die. All the strategies and partnerships in the world cannot do anything without cash, so if you as an individual, or as a company want to help keep the work going, please donate or sponsor an element. Contact Save our Squirrels through their website www.saveoursquirrels.org
Thanks to Andrea and Keith Cameron for the picture of the squigs in their garden in Cumbria.

Squirrels on TV

2009-12-02T03:16:00.000-08:00

My career took an exciting step forward recently, thanks to the ever delightful red squirrel. This adorable creature was to be featured on the BBC's popular Autumnwatch television programme, so someone was required to be interviewed. I was called in to be that person!
I was told I'd be interviewed by presenter Kate Humble, who I've always thought had the best job ever (second only to being a Blue Peter Presenter) and who is something of an inspiration to me. So it was with mixed feelings of nervousness, excitment and fear of being star-struck, that I arrived at Dodd Wood, near Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria, to film.

Kate immediately introduced herself and was very friendly, so put me at my ease. We had a quick chat "off camera" (look at me with all the lingo!) to go through some of the things she'd be asking. All we needed now were some squirrels and for it to stop raining! Luckliy we got both.

We were filming at a feeding station, so the squirrels were very keen to get their breakfast, even with these odd people hanging around right next to them. There were usually 2 or 3 reds right by us for the whole time the cameras were rolling. They obligingly scampered about, buried the food or sat looking picture-book cute on the tree stump where the nuts had been put.

We must have got about an hour and a half's worth of footage, but the final version, of course, was much shorter -maybe 5 minutes, so much of what I wanted to say was edited out. However, I was very pleased to get the chance to set the record straight to such a big audience (the programme has viewing figures of about 4 million people). The grey squirrel is often demonised, and portrayed as a "bad" animal. It really isn't. Its just in the wrong place. In its own, carefully balanced ecosystem, it is as enigmatic and entertaining as our red. Having said that, I also wanted to get across just how vital it is to control their numbers here in the North of England, or we undoubtedly will lose the native species.
So my TV debut was a big sucess. I've had lots of positive feedback from people about it, so I must have said something right! Even Kate said I did a good job, which made my day!

My role in red squirrel conservation is always challenging, but never dull. I love my job!

The Joys of Spring

2009-07-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

My two guinea pigs gave birth a couple of days ago to four of the sweetest babies you've ever seen. It struck me how different a newborn guinea pig is from a newborn red squirrel. Despite them both being small rodents, the young are born at quite different stages of development.

My little piggies, ("pups" I'm informed they are called) came out as complete animals, all covered in fur, open-eyed and ready to go. The newborn squirrel, or "kitten", is at the other end of the scale. Not only are they hairless and blind like mice, but they are also deaf. They are just tiny cocktail sausages, totally reliant on mum for everything.

My latest additions to the family are already eating grass at just two days old! They are of course still drinking mum's milk, but I think they are incredible.

How is it that two such closely related animals have evolved such different strategies for their young? One thought is that, having seen a heavily pregnant guinea pig waddle round the hutch and up and down the ramp, there's no way she'd be able to climb a tree! Perhaps the pressure of need to get out of the way by climbing is enough to offset the vulnerability of the tiny kitten.

The Power of the Internet

2009-06-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about how I could get people to see this blog and was running through all the places I could put it. It struck me how powerful the internet is. I know that seems like an obvious thing to say, but every now and then it hits me as to all the things that are possible now that simply weren't in very recent times.

We, the Save our Squirrels project, and the conservation world at large, use a variety of ways to get our message out there. For example we have our own website - of course, that's what everyone expects. We also use Facebook, links from other websites, online newspapers and the charity search engine Everyclick. A huge amount of what we have been able to do is also down to the invention of emails.

Funny how the march of progress which has caused so much distruction of the world, is the very thing that allows us to pull it back from the brink.

Approaches to Fundraising

2009-06-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Today's post finds me reporting on and pondering how a project like ours finds the money to operate.

It has been triggered by a new opportunity that has landed in our lap - text donations from a mobile phone (cellphone).

As of next week (from 18th June 2009 ish), all being well, people will be able to text "RED" to 81400 and be able to donate to the Save our Squirrels project. For the small cost of £1.50 plus the standard network rate, approximately £1 will be added to the coffers.

This scheme has been popular for some time now amongst the UK television channels, with special programmes such as Red Nose Day's climbing Kilamajaro challenge. The concept is simple and has the potential to raise serious cash - provided the number is advertised widely enough, for which an "investment" in marketing is required.

The traditional routes for raising cash such as collecting tins, selling merchandise (pens, fluffy toys, mugs etc) and becoming a membership organisation are all good, but time consuming and with minimal return.

Big money for conservation projects comes from putting in bids to funding bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, and through schemes such as landfill tax. Our project, for instance got in the region of £600,000 from HLF over 3 years. This money, however, comes with strings attached.

Although you can get big bucks, you have to apply for it. That application has to meet strict criteria and you have to state clearly from the outset exactly how you will spend the money. HLF in particular required detailed targets that we needed to hit in order to get the money, so our work is restricted to working towards those targets.

Another route to follow to fund a conservation project is to work with lots of partner organisations - other charities, government bodies and corporate businesses who will agree to all put in money or gift in kind, such as providing office space, staff time or equipment for free or a reduced fee. Of course, there will be strings here too as they will want something out of it too, usually good PR and their logos splashed all over any leaflets, websites, press releases etc etc.

Its a complicated affair, but with the right combination of the above you can achieve a great deal.

Shopping saves squirrels!

2009-06-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Just for a bit of fun I thought I'd put some links on here to places you can go to buy everything from coat racks to beer with money going back into red squirrel conservation.

This is for all you shopaholics - now its not just fun, its practically your duty to shop!

Bags

Cotton bags

1. http://www.heatoncooper.co.uk/eshop1/product.php?xProd=1195

2. http://www.saveoursquirrels.org/pge/support_us/merchandise.html (this link also takes you to a page where you can buy coffee, stationary, postcards, badges, fluffy toy squirrels, frisbees and a hand puppet! Christmas cards are also available from this link during December, too.)

Beer

http://www.redsquirrelshop.co.uk/rsbshop/prod_352950-Red-Squirrel-Conservation-Bitter-x12-41.html

Brewery tours

Keswick Brewery, Keswick, Cumbria, England.http://www.keswickbrewery.co.uk/brewery-tours/brewery-tours.html

Coat rack

http://www.utilitydesign.co.uk/mall/productpage.cfm/UtilityDesign/_PLUSQU/-/Squirrel%20Coat%20Rack

Holidays

The following link takes you to the Tourism and Conservation Partnership website. This organisation links businesses with conservation projects, so the linked page shows which businesses support red squirrel conservation. Many of these are hotels or Bed and Breakfasts in Cumbria. (Its a Cumbrian company)There's a good chance that you'll see red squigs in the grounds of these places too, if you go and stay there!

http://www.ourstolookafter.co.uk/pages/projects/squirrel.htm

2009-06-05T02:15:00.000-07:00

Day 2 - So many squirrel organisations!

There are simply a huge number of different organisations working in England, Scotland and Wales working to protect the red squirrel. When I first started my job in this field, about 2 years ago, I thought "how am I ever going to remember who they all are?!"

It doesn't help that they are generally referred to by their acronyms, which almost always have an "RS" (red squirrel!) in it somewhere.

To give a few examples we have:

RSST - Red Squirrel Survival Trust. New kids on the block - launched recently (April 3rd 2009). A charity set up predominantly to provide funding for rs conservation in the UK.

RSSS - Red Squirrels in South Scotland - as its name suggests, the Scottish squirrel project!

RSPP - Red Squirrel Protection Partnership - one of the more controversial projects, now inactive I think. Began in about 2006/7 to undertake grey control in Northumberland (a county in the north of England)

P&DRSG - Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group - a volunteer run charity working in the Penrith area of Cumbria (another North of England county) doing grey control and raising awareness.

ESI - European Squirrel Initiative - the European side of red squig cons.

NRS - Northern Red Squirrels - A loose umbrella organisation that the numerous local volunteer groups, such as P&DRSG, can be grouped under.

SoS - Save our Squirrels - the project I work for. A publically funded (as opposed to government funded) project based in the North of England. An initial 3 years of funding was granted by HLF and some other organisations, which is nearly up. We're looking to get more funding to continue. We are the UK's largest species conservation organisation...with a grand total of 8 full time members of staff to cover the whole of the North of England. A tough job. www.saveoursquirrels.org

There are a million more out there, all of which have different goals, aims and way of working. Trying to bring everyone in together and pulling in the same direction is a more challenging task than the conservation work itself.

As I said before, the subject of red squirrels is one that triggers passion, obsession, and fierce ideas on what should be done in equal measures. The cold, logical science behind strategies doesn't always agree with the passion, and so sparks fly and rifts are created.

Day 1, part 2 Squirrel video clip and public opinion

2009-06-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Its not all doom and death. The work I do involves working with a wide variety of people to encourage support for the cause and to provide enough information about the conservation stragtegies and methods for them to be able to make their own minds up about whether or not they agree with grey control.

I firmly believe that everyone has the right to agree or disagree with the issue, but that they can only do this with all the information from both sides.

The previous video clip was quite shocking, but the next one is a light hearted look at red squirrel lifestyle and habits. Its a fun one for kids too.

Day 1 An insider's view of red squirrel conservation

2009-06-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

Its minute 1 of day one in my forray into blogging.

Wish me luck....

I work for a charity in the UK that aims to conserve our little native red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris.

It is a controversial aim, as the reason for its decline in Britain is due to the introduced American grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis.

This larger animal outcompetes the red for food and is a carrier of a disease known as squirrelpox (SQPV). This virus is deadly to reds, but the greys can develop an immunity very quickly, so so don't suffer the effects in the same way.

The accepted method for conserving the red squirrel is "grey control" - that is the humane culling of the grey squirrel in key areas. Hence the controversy.

I thought it would make interesting reading to start a blog about red squirrel conservation from my side of the fence.

I hope to help explain how and why various approaches are taken and in the process improve the level of understanding and knowledge of this sticky subject.

I know public opinion is split on the subject of grey control - definately a "for or against" concept. Very few people sit on the fence with this one.