eAlert: 18 May 2023
Published 24 May 2023
Applies to England
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1. It’s Invasive Non-Native Species week
1.1 Get involved…
Did you know that around 10-15% of non-native species in this country have become invasive? This means that they have a harmful impact on our wildlife and ecosystems. Find out more and what you can do to help reduce the impact of Invasive Non-Native Species
At the Forestry Commission we have helped fund fertility control research developing new ways to manage grey squirrels. We also help land owners limit damage to trees and to help support red squirrel populations by funding grey squirrel management.
You can find out more and see if you are eligible for funding on GOV.UK: WS3: Squirrel control and management and FY3: Squirrel traps and maintenance. Last year we helped over 130 landowners covering nearly 12,000 ha of woodland.
1.2 UK Squirrel Accord resources
Check out these useful resources at the UK Squirrel Accord to conduct a squirrel impact assessment in your woodland: UK Squirrel Accord survey and monitoring
They have also shared a video describing the issues around grey squirrel bark stripping. Watch the video.
1.3 National Forest Training
The National Forest will deliver a free training session this Friday 19 May for anyone wanting to know how to carry out the grey squirrel activity and impact assessment methodology. We will also look at organising more of these events later in the year. If you wish to take one of the few places left this Friday or are keen to take part in a session later this year, please email forestry@nationalforest.org to express your interest for Fridays session or one later this year.
1.4 Watch the Grey Squirrel Impact Assessment webinar
The National Forest’s Ed Hiorns provides an overview of how to use the grey squirrel activity and impact assessment methodology.