The Sedbergh Red Squirrel Group

Welcome to the Sedbergh Red Squirrel Group

We are a small group of people trying to conserve red squirrels in the Sedbergh area.

Our aims are to raise public awareness of the difficulties facing red squirrels and to encourage more people to become involved in helping them.

On this website you can read about the history of red squirrels in Britain and the difficulties they now face as a result of habitat loss and disease, and you can find out about the little things that you can do to help them. In particular you can report sightings of both red and grey squirrels to help us monotor them. Please e-mail us at sedberghredsquirrels100@gmail.com

Red squirrels

Unlike the greys, red squirrels are native to the British Isles. They arrived here several thousand years ago, at the end of the last ice age when there was a land bridge across what we now call the English Channel. As the ice cap and tundra gave way to the mixed woodland that was to cover most of the land, the red squirrels moved west and north, exploiting the new habitats created by the advance of the forests. They have lived here ever since.

The snag is that, after over ten thousand years, there is a very real danger that red squirrels could soon become extinct in Britain. They have been all but wiped out in southern England, and even in the north and in Scotland they are under threat.

The decline of the red squirrel

As with many extinction scenarios, the decline of the red squirrel has a number of causes.

The arrival of farming in Britain about 7,000 years ago eventually led to a massive destruction of the natural woodland habitats upon which squirrels depend. This will have caused a big decline in numbers, but was not in itself a major problem for the viability of the species.

Far more significant has been the introduction of grey squirrels from America in the 1870s. The impact of the greys has been twofold.

Firstly, grey squirrels frequently compete for the same resources as the reds, and they are a lot bigger. The problem is greatest in deciduous or mixed (deciduous/pine) woodland, where the greys seem rather better at exploiting the various sources of food available. (Reds often do better in pine forest, which greys don't like as much).

Secondly, both grey squirrels and red squirrels can be infected by Squirrel Parapox Virus, sometimes just called 'Squirrel Pox'. This is the real killer for red squirrels – literally. Whereas the greys are hardly affected by the disease, for the reds it is usually fatal. Given that the two species often tend to live in the same sort of habitat – and therefore come into contact with each other – grey squirrels are a highly effective carrier for a disease that has the capacity to wipe out whole populations of reds.

Saving red squirrels from extinction

At national level, the agreed policy seems to be to 1) promote habitats that red squirrels can thrive in, and 2) maintain grey-free buffer zones around populations of reds. The main strategic buffer zone is across northern England, through Cumbria and Northumberland.

Our work in the Sedbergh area

In the Sedbergh Red Squirrel Group, our contribution to the national effort is to:–
1) monitor both red and grey squirrels in this area, that is to say Sedbergh, Dentdale, Middleton, Cautley, Firbank and the Howgills (Garsdale has its own group),
2) help red squirrels by feeding them,
3) encourage landowners to provide areas of pine forest,
4) humanely trap greys, and
5) host various events to publicise the work.

The group has made a donation of £100 to the Woodland Trust for their purchase of land at Snaizeholme. See the Woodland Trust website.

Read Karen Hopps' account of her work as a volunteer red squirrel ranger.

Read about wildlife–friendly tree planting at Low Branthwaites.

Can you help?

There are a number of very different things you can do to help us in our work of conserving red squirrels:–

Report sightings. We need to know where both red and grey squirrels are. By reporting sightings of squirrels (even if you are not sure which type they are) you are enabling us to keep tabs on local squirrel populations. If you see any, please e-mail us at sedberghredsquirrels100@gmail.com

Have a squirrel feeder. Feeding red squirrels not only helps them through lean times, it also allows you to monitor them and keep an eye out for any greys. A mixed diet is recommended – peanuts, hazel nuts, sunflower seeds, sweet chestnuts, pine nuts etc. Fruits and carrots can also be added. Johnson and Jeff Squirrel Feed and Johnson and Jeff Monkey Nuts are available from Ryecroft's on Main Street, Sedbergh (Tel: 20420). You can also buy squirrel food and feeders, on–line. See thebirdsbistro.co.uk. Feeders should ideally be positioned 5 or 6 feet up a tree or close to a high wall, well off the ground to avoid cat issues.

Squirrelise your garden. You can help attract red squirrels to your garden by planting shrubs or trees which will provide a natural food source. These include hazel, brambles, raspberry, dog rose, guelder rose, wild cherry, bird cherry, and crab apple. Provide some nice hiding places like rocks and logs – the latter will decay and provide fungi for the red squirrels to eat too.

Have a trap in your garden. We don't enjoy controlling grey squirrels, but it is clear that reds and greys cannot live together in the same area for very long. One day it may be possible to vaccinate reds against the deadly squirrel pox carried by greys. Until then trapping greys is the only realistic option. If you do trap a grey, let us know and someone will come out and dispatch it for you, quickly and humanely.

Help with events. We give talks, organise fundraising events and set up stalls at events hosted by other community–based organisations. Come along and help – we can always use an extra pair of hands.

Put up a squirrel–aware 'Slow Down' sign. A4 size, and made of durable di–board, they are available (for £6) from Steve and Karen Hopps at sedberghredsquirrels100@gmail.com.

Sponsor us and/or manage your land with squirrels in mind. We welcome sponsorship from the business community. We can also advise local farmers and landowners as to the best ways of helping red squirrels by means of small changes in land management.

Become a member. You can become a member of the Sedbergh Red Squirrel Group for just £15 per year. Apart from helping us with the work, you will also get advance notice of events, talks etc. Eventually we hope to produce a regular newsletter for members. Please e–mail membersedberghredsquirrels100@gmail.com.

sedberghredsquirrels100@gmail.com
Images © Valerie Leeper, Dave Banks, Wayne Hutchinson, Anna and Darren Sheffield, UK Squirrel Accord and Robert Powell
Website Design by Robert Powell of Sedbergh