Red Squirrel Survey

 

Despite the best efforts of the Scottish Red Squirrel Group there are still many forests where the status of the red squirrel population is unknown. BoG-WiG plans to train local people to recognise signs that red squirrels are present so that they can survey forests in an exercise known as "The Great Cone Hunt".

Mel Tonkin, the Scottish Red Squirrel Survey Coordinator, came up to Boat of Garten to begin the process of training BoGWiG members in Cone Hunting.

On the Friday afternoon we took her into the local woods for a recce prior to the red squirrel day she was to run for us next day. On the Saturday the training began in earnest. The attendance was disappointing despite our having advertised the day widely. Those that did turn up enjoyed a superb presentation and workshop in the morning, then lunch, then a survey session in the woods where Mel demonstrated how to conduct a measured transect in which the eaten and uneaten cones were counted and how certain deductions could be made from the results.