How can you help
Are you interested in helping with the preservation of red squirrels? This section gives some practical advice on how to make a difference.
Avail of grants to aid red squirrel conservation
The creation of a favourable habitat for red squirrels is central to conservation efforts. New planting, replanting after felling, or other work carried out in existing woodlands may qualify for grant aid under the Forest Service Woodland Grant Scheme. The preparation of a management plan that reflects sound red squirrel conservation may also attract support. See our Private Woodlands section for further information on the Woodland Grant Scheme
Planting grants are also available from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Countryside Management Division, telephone (028) 90 520922.
If you own or manage a woodland it may be possible to secure a grant from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for grey squirrel control and/or for the supplementary feeding of red squirrels. Application forms are available by telephone at (028) 90546531.
Disease
Should you find a dead red squirrel and you are unsure of the cause of death, please contact (028) 66 343124. If it can contribute to current research, arrangements will be made to collect the carcass. A fresh blood sample from the red squirrel is required for laboratory tests. Therefore, it is important that the squirrel must reach the laboratory without delay, so prompt notification is essential. (If practical, the carcass should be placed in a freezer to facilitate removal of the carcass).
Observations
If you see red or grey squirrels within the preferred areas (or surrounds), you should report the sightings to the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR) - by e-mail (
cedar.info@magni.org.uk). Please include the following information-
- squirrel type-red/grey,
- location (grid ref if possible),
- date,
- your name and address,
- and any comment you care to make.
Additional information on CEDaR can be obtained from the CEDaR database at the Ulster Museum. This will allow us to develop a better understanding of red and grey squirrel population trends and dispersal rates across the Province.
Identification
- Red squirrels - the tail can often be darker than the rest of its coat. In autumn, the ears grow long tufts which are at their finest in mid-winter, but by summer the tufts will have disappeared.
- Grey squirrels - have no prominent ear tufts. The underside is white or pale grey and sides, limbs and paws are often reddish brown.
Remember the winter coat of the red squirrel can be very dark and quite grey and can be easily confused with the grey squirrel.
Squirrel education
Within the Education section on this website, many of our educational programmes include issues relating to the red squirrel. A Red Squirrel Action Pack produced by the Environment & Heritage Service is also available.
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