There are few of them left to enjoy it, but Britain's red squirrels have been awarded a £626,000 (US$1.09 million) Lottery grant — supporting a project designed to save the native creatures from destruction.
Two of the 16 red squirrel reserves — set up as part of a £1.1 million (US$1.92 million) scheme to reverse the dominance of the imported American grey squirrel — are in North Yorkshire.
Some of the Lottery money will be used by the Save Our Squirrels project at Widdale, west of Hawes, and in the Garsdale and Mallerstang area between Upper Wensleydale and Sedbergh and Kirkby Stephen.
The project is being co-ordinated by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust on behalf of Red Alert North England, a partnership of environmental and wildlife organizations, to raise awareness of the plight of red squirrels.
The grant will pay for a team of red squirrel officers who will be deployed across northern England to undertake conservation work and to educate the public by creating opportunities to see the squirrel in its natural woodland habitat.
Developing public interest in red squirrels is thought to be vital for the species' future survival. Despite the highest level of protection under UK law through the Wildlife and Countryside Act they have vanished from many parts of the country.
The introduction of the American grey squirrel, together with a disease known as squirrel pox that only affects red squirrels, has spelled disaster for the species.
Their only hope now depends on effective conservation measures in remaining strongholds, which are mostly in the North.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust chief executive Mike Pratt said, "This is great news for all concerned with the conservation of this iconic animal from England's woodlands — the real Squirrel Nutkin.
"We will work with our partner wildlife trusts in Yorkshire, Lancashire, North Merseyside and Cumbria, with landowners and the public to implement conservation measures in the 16 designated red squirrel reserves and surrounding buffer zones.
"Thanks to this project many more people will get closer to this magical creature, possibly for the first time, through the trusts' People and Wildlife programs.
"We also believe the project will fuel nature tourism opportunities in the North, helping rural communities to thrive." The Forestry Commission, a key Red Alert partner, will help to manage red squirrel reserves, providing grants for conservation and creating buffer zones.
Forestry Minister Jim Knight said, "Red squirrels are a cherished but threatened part of our biodiversity in England. "I'm very pleased to learn that this significant new funding has been secured by this partnership project."
"The introduction of the American grey squirrel, together with a disease known as squirrel pox that only affects red squirrels, has spelled disaster for the species."
We make big trouble for moose & squirrel, Dollink!
Those Brits can pour all the money they like into it from any source they wish, but good American squirrels will win out in the end.
A more pressing matter is how we can get some lottery money here directed to saving the good American Roof Rat (Rattus Rattus) from the invading Norwegian Rat (Rattus Norvegicus) or Wharf Rat.
The cream of American young manhood and squirrelhood has always gone off to fight somewhere else and always won while the effiminate news patriots stayed home and got fat and decadent. While our American squirrels are winning overseas our rats are losing right here in our own back yards and attics.
I'm shocked that nobody had any comments about Lottery funds going to pay for Rocky Squirrel.
i'm for it!!!!
I'm shocked that nobody had any comments about Lottery funds going to pay for Rocky Squirrel.
Todd:
Post members would only be shocked by a red English only if they.............
married one like psykomo did, because I happen to like red squirrels!!!!!!!
Back when<<<<<<I was a boy........living in Savannah, the lady next door
had two grey squirrels which I played with a lot, but my Mother would not
let me have a pet of any kind......for years, so I guess this is why psykomo
married this beautiful red haired woman!
This......red English almost drove me crazy and her family was from a long
line of whip maker's in England.......so that did not help the relationship a
lot, because I am German & everyone knows how the English treated US.
After she DIVORCED me...................we seemed to get along much better,
guess it was all those papers and treaties ...................we signed!!!!!!!!!!!
NOTE: PSYKOMO plans to make a LARGE CONTRO--
For All Amercan Grey Squirrels iiving in England!!!!!
LOL
PSYKOMO
Psykomo,
That was great! Thanks for the good laugh this evening!
"The introduction of the American grey squirrel, together with a disease known as squirrel pox that only affects red squirrels, has spelled disaster for the species."
We make big trouble for moose & squirrel, Dollink!
Seems to me it's a patriotism issue.
Those Brits can pour all the money they like into it from any source they wish, but good American squirrels will win out in the end.
A more pressing matter is how we can get some lottery money here directed to saving the good American Roof Rat (Rattus Rattus) from the invading Norwegian Rat (Rattus Norvegicus) or Wharf Rat.
The cream of American young manhood and squirrelhood has always gone off to fight somewhere else and always won while the effiminate news patriots stayed home and got fat and decadent. While our American squirrels are winning overseas our rats are losing right here in our own back yards and attics.
Jack
Shouldn't it be "American GRAY squirrel"? The word gray is spelled "grey" across the pond.
Can anyone hit an Ohio pick 4 straight???
@Todd:
This story doesn't surprise me. Politicians can always find squirelly ways to spend their citizen's money.
Jim
Shouldn't it be "American GRAY squirrel"? The word gray is spelled "grey" across the pond.
If you check the Source of the story, it is the Yorkshire Post, so naturally spellings may be different.
Maybe RJOH gets a cut.