TV GARDENING guru and former Island High Sheriff Alan Titchmarsh has backed the first national red squirrel survey of its kind.
The Red Squirrel Survival Trust (RSST) launched its new red squirrel perceptions survey to monitor population trends around the UK and formulated strategies to protect our native mammal.
The biannual survey will measure people’s experiences of red and grey squirrel population changes in their areas.
It is similar in design to the Consumer Confidence Index, in that it tracks changes in perceptions over time.
It is open to anyone who lives in a red squirrel area, and organisers say it gives members of the public the opportunity to contribute local knowledge to a meaningful national survey.
A link to the survey can be found on RSST’s website (www.rsst.org.uk).
RSST ambassador, Mr Titchmarsh said: "Everyone involved in red squirrel conservation knows that volunteers and the local community are its backbone, so I am delighted that their observations are to be recorded.
"I would encourage anyone in a red squirrel area to take part — it only takes a couple of minutes to complete and its findings will be of great value."
Dr Tony Mitchell-Jones, of Natural England, said "The perception survey is a widely used technique in both conservation and business. The data collated by RSST’s survey will be a useful barometer of the public’s perceptions of red and grey squirrel numbers and will serve to underpin new monitoring standards."
Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk