On the 7th-11th of December 2009 The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside are teaming up with the Big Give to help protect the Red Squirrel.
They are aiming to raise a total of £64,000 with a ‘matched funding’ scheme.
Any money donated online at www.thebiggive.org.uk to the red squirrel appeal will be matched by the website.
The Big Give features 5,000 registered charities on their website promoting several billion pounds of charitable projects.
Buffer Zones
Facing stiff competition from its American counterpart, the grey squirrel, our smaller native red squirrels often succumb to the fatal squirrel pox virus for which there is as yet no cure.
This disease has had a devastating effect in the Sefton Coastal Woodlands, reducing the population to a dangerously low level.
In order to maintain their presence the Wildlife Trust need to safeguard the reds by monitoring and trapping grey squirrels in ‘buffer zones’ surrounding red squirrel refuge areas.
Only occasional sightings of red squirrels are being reported in some areas but anecdotal evidence suggests that the urban population in residential areas of Blundellsands and Crosby is only just surviving.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.