Launch of public appeal to help count our furry little friends

Last updated 11:41, Thursday, 02 October 2008

IT’S Red Squirrel Week – and it sees the launch of the first Great North Squirrel Quest.

Who you looking at? This is the week to go red squirrel spotting

The quest is a public survey looking to get as much information as possible on the whereabouts of red and grey squirrels in the North of England. This will then be used to create maps of squirrel distribution so that conservation efforts can be directed in the most effective places.

You can download survey forms for woodlands, the garden or roadside. They also want to know about any dead squirrels by the roadside. Go to www.saveoursquirrels.org.uk

Although organisers are particularly keen to get reports of sightings from in and around the regions’ 16 red squirrel reserves, Save Our Squirrels People & Wildlife Officer, Philippa Mitchell, says sightings from anywhere in the region are important.

“We need sightings from gardens, along roads or in woodlands. Our aim is to get a snapshot of where red and grey squirrels are throughout the North of England during this week” she said.

The information will be used to target conservation efforts more effectively and to identify potential transmission of squirrelpox virus – a virus carried without harm to the grey but almost always fatal to the red.

Red Squirrel Week will also see a number of talks and events taking place in the county including:

Saturday, October 4: Guided Red Squirrel walk at Thirlmere, 10am. Meet at the Swirls car park to join Save Our Squirrels staff on a trip around this red squirrel reserve. Wear suitable outdoor clothing. If you have them, you may want to bring binoculars. The walk is free, but the car park is pay and display.

Sunday, October 5: Squirrel Activity Day, Greystoke Village Hall, Greystoke, near Penrith. Drop in between 10am and 1pm to have a go at squirrel arts and crafts, play squirrel-themed games or meet the SoS staff. All activities are free and there’s a free car park, too.

Wednesday, October 8: Red Squirrel Talk at Blindcrake Village Hall, Blindcrake, near Cockermouth. Begins at 7.30pm. Meet SoS People and Wildlife officer, Charlotte, to hear about squirrel ecology and find out what’s been happening in Cumbria to protect the red squirrel.

Friday, October 10: New ‘Squirrelcams’ at Whinlatter Red Squirrel Reserve go online today! The arrival of new technology, provided by Studsvik and the Web Broadcasting Corporation, are to be installed and switched on by the winners of a story competition. These cameras will feed live images back into the visitor centre and onto the web at www.saveoursquirrels.org.uk