Partnership gains support for red squirrel project - Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Northumberland Wildlife Trust and its partners is delighted to have received initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Red Squirrel Recovery Network (RSRN) project.
Made possible by National Lottery players, the project aims to protect and conserve populations of red squirrels in the north of England and southern Scotland.
Development funding of £158,600 has been awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help Northumberland Wildlife Trust and a team of partners progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date.
The five year RSRN project will see Northumberland Wildlife Trust working in partnership with the Cumbrian Wildlife Trust, the Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside Wildlife Trust, The Southern Uplands Partnership based in Scotland and Knowsley Safari Foundation in Prescot in Merseyside.
During the 12 month development phase the countrywide team will develop the methodology for large scale grey squirrel fertility control, plan audience engagement and activity programmes and write a conservation plan.
In addition, team members will work together to collect baseline data across the project areas on squirrel presence/absence, grey squirrel management activity and volunteer demographics to establish the current range of volunteers as well as identify opportunities to encourage new volunteers.
There will be a public awareness programme to inform the public on the relationship between squirrels and pine martens - a natural predator of squirrels, and the impact they may have on both reds and greys.
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Posted On: 18/08/2023