UK Squirrel Initiative – Meeting 2nd May 2014
Representatives from more than 50 parties interested in squirrels met at Dumfries House, Ayrshire, Scotland on 2nd May to discuss a new squirrel accord to conserve red squirrels. HRH Prince Charles attended during the afternoon. Speakers included The Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Mr Simon Jones, Head of Major Projects, Scottish Wildlife Trust who talked about Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, and Mr Crispin Thorn, Chair, Red Squirrels Northern England Project Management Group, who talked about Red Squirrels Northern England – Coordinating Red Squirrel Conservation. Controlling grey squirrels is a key action in the drive to conserve red squirrels and this has brought criticism from some quarters (see Chris Packham – Ecological cleansing and article by Ocsar Rickett in the Guardian).