Red Squirrel Tree Care

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.