Ulster Wildlife and Red Squirrel Conservation (August 2023)
The Ulster Wildlife have been running a successful conservation programme for Reds for the last number of years, which the FRSG have supported. While we hope to attract more volunteers to the group who can help with admin including quries we receive, can you please meanwhile forward any enquiries to Priority Species Officer at Ulster Wildlife, [email protected].
Please report any Squirrel or Pine Marten sightings to https://www.ulsterwildlife.org/report-sightings”
Background
In the effort to conserve red squirrel populations, knowing where both red squirrel and grey squirrel populations occur is crucial.
We believe that Fermanagh is a stronghold for red squirrels, having two of the six Red Squirrel Preferred Areas in Northern Ireland. There are large tracts of coniferous forests in both east and west Fermanagh and we also have some good pockets of native woodland, scrub and a good network of hedgerows to allow squirrels to move safely between habitats and areas.
However, grey squirrels are also exerting pressure from a number of areas and we need to understand where and how this is affecting local populations. While many people like to report sightings of red squirrels, it is as important or perhaps more that we also receive records of grey squirrels as well as they pose the single greatest threat to the survival of the red.
The Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR) is the biological recording center for Northern Ireland. It gathers and analyses biological data, to help in the conservation of a wide range of plants and animals.
Following is a link to their page for reporting sightings of both red and grey squirrels in Fermanagh or any part of the country.
http://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/squirrels
Sightings in the Republic of Ireland
If you want to report a sighting of a squirrel seen in the South, you should report these to the biological recording centre for the Republic of Ireland, the National Biological Recording Centre.
The centre is based in Waterford and is the equivalent of CEDaR in the North. You can submit a record online at www.biodiversityireland.ie/biodiversity-data/submit-record.
