Red Squirrel Habitats Project: enabling red squirrels to thrive in the Lothians of Scotland and beyond, is the passion behind Red Squirrel Tree Care.
Human impact, particularly within the last 200 years and much accelerated in the last 60 years has resulted in biosphere imbalance. Our expectation to live in warm homes and to eat foods grown from afar has resulted in over use of the Earth's resources. At Red Squirrel Tree Care we will endeavour for our activities to have a positive impact on our biosphere. We will achieve this by:
- Connecting with wildlife organisations, following their best practice for managing woodlands and woodland connections, to enrich wildlife habitats generally and red squirrel habitats specifically.
- Connecting with estate and woodland owners, helping them to manage their woodlands and woodland connections with best practice, including enriching wildlife habitats generally and red squirrel habitats specifically.
-Connecting with enthusiastic individuals and groups who want to play their part in enriching wildlife and red squirrel habitats.
What is the red squirrel's story? What has contributed to their demise across the Lothians of Scotland. What would it take to enable red squirrels to return to woodlands within the Lothians?
The rather reserved red squirrel thrived throughout Britain until the end of the 19th century. However, a trend developed among Victorian estate owners to release imported North American grey squirrels onto their estates. Being far less reserved, grey squirrel sightings were a guaranteed amusement for their guests.
The widespread introduction of invasive grey squirrels heralded the demise of red squirrels. Being larger and more robust, grey squirrels out-competed native red squirrels for food and territory, making it difficult for red squirrels to thrive. Added to this, some grey squirrels carry squirrelpox, not harmful to them, but lethal to red squirrels.
The 20th century was not kind to wildlife in general and red squirrels specifically. The visible and publicised destruction of woodlands to satisfy our appetite for more houses and motorways has resulted in red squirrel habitats being both reduced in size and also fragmented. Additionally, multiple lanes, along with the need to negotiate the central reservation, makes motorways especially dangerous to wildlife.
Our insatiable drive for low cost food has pressured our farmers into making efficiencies whatever the ecological consequences. Many lone trees and hedgerows, important staging posts and wildlife corridors have been removed. Additionally, supermarkets have sourced cheaper food imports, resulting in increased usage of roads by lorries, making them more conjested and adding to the pressure for more motorways.
Reduced in size, fragmented and disconnected, areas of woodland across Britain are less able to sustain red squirrel communities.
It would take a giant leap for red squirrels to re-colonise woodlands within the Lothians. It would take bold government and landowner will to re-establish connections between fragmented areas of woodland. As a family who own a small area of woodland within 130 acre Bolton Muir Wood in East Lothian, we are committed to playing our part.
Richard, tree surgeon and arborist, specialises in wildlife habitat enrichment. With over 20 years experience of practical estate management and tree services, he has developed precise and efficient pruning techniques using arborist handsaws. He also has NPTC chainsaw and tree climbing licences. He has extensive practical knowledge of woodland management, particularly with regard to enhancing red squirrel habitats. Richard will be pleased to consult with you about your woodland or garden trees and agree a plan of action.
Our family owns a lovely 4 acre woodland near Gifford, East Lothian. Knowing that Britain is one of the most nature depleted areas in the World, we recognise the privilege and responsibility of owning a woodland. We will continuously develop our woodland skills and knowledge, managing our woodland with best practise. We use and manage our woodland using the basic principle of "Will what we do enable native species of flora and fauna to thrive". This principle can be scaled down for those wanting to encourage wildlife into their gardens and scaled up for large estate management. The following advice for estate and woodland owners in the Lothians of Scotland wanting to attract native red squirrels is in essence our own woodland management plan.
1. Plant tree species which enhance wildlife habitats, such as crab apple. They provide a rich source of food for red squirrels.
2. Plant small nut tree species such as Scots pine and larch, which particularly attract native red squirrels rather than invasive greys. A Scots pine and larch mix, appropriately spaced to form a continuous high canopy, is especially favoured by red squirrels with Scots pine cones being produced in Winter and larch cones being produced in Summer ensuring a continuous supply of food.
3. Encourage owners of woodlands connected to your woodland to plant tree species such as crab apple and scots pine. Recognise that your woodland is a valuable ecological fragment that can be improved through good management and is especially beneficial to wildlife (particularly red squirrels) if connected to other well managed woodlands and other areas where wildlife is enabled to thrive (wetland areas and hedgerows).
4. Crown thin large nut tree species such as oak and beech which attract grey squirrels. Crown thinning rather than removing trees maintains the integrity of wildlife habitats. Crown thin damaged trees as a priority. Crown thinning will enable nursery trees to thrive, though be careful not to remove branches which connect tree canopies.
5. Keep woodlands wild. Do not be tempted to make woodland too tidy. Maintain and encourage undergrowth by planned thinning.
6. Establish conservation piles (loosely webbed tree branches of different tree species, preferably some with foliage, in various states of decay). They provide shelter and food for wildlife.
7. Maintain woodland rides to enhance wildlife habitats, but retain some high canopy connections to enable red squirrels to move between woodland areas.
8. Support Woodland Trust, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels. Keep a close watch on squirrel sightings in your woodland area.
9. When red squirrel sightings have been verified in your area, consider Summer feeding stations for red squirrels. Summer is the toughest time of year for red squirrels, before the fruit and nut harvest of Autumn. Expert guidance is required as feeding stations can become transmission points for the squirrel pox virus, deadly to red squirrels.
In order to do things well, developing a prime red squirrel habitat, get good advice eg how to maintain the cleanliness of feeding stations.
As a family we really enjoy being outdoors and seeing wildlife. We especially enjoyed seeing a red squirrel as we were sitting having our breakfast, holidaying on the Isle of Arran. Watching squirrels climb trees teaches us humans to be flexible not stiff when climbing. Choose Red Squirrel Tree Care if you are looking for a tree care professional who really cares about trees, their beauty, character and impotance as wildlife habitats.
During the Winter months we deliver freshly cut one metre birch log lengths for growing mushrooms. £30 per 4 lengths.
We deliver oak log lengths. Sold per 100kg for £40.
Standard and bespoke wreaths made with skill and care by Rachel Hattersley-Smith.
Our wreaths are made using fir, pine and holly harvested locally in our East Lothian woodland. Email: rachhs@gmx.com
Compostable - just remove any ribbons and baubles (where applicable) and compost.
Smaller wreath to use with a candle as a table decoration.
Tree pruning done to BS 3998.
Our tree surgeon works to BS 3998.
Red Squirrel climbing.
Precise pruning using arborist handsaw.
We manage woodlands.
Tree pruning our speciality.