 As the public has been rallying to the cause of our beleaguered wildlife during the cold weather, a Wimborne family has taken Dorset’s red squirrels to heart. Thomas (12) and Lily Maidment (8) decided to help the rare native mammals by putting money in their Dorset Wildlife Trust collecting box every time they had a biscuit.
When the box arrived in the post last year, with a picture of a squirrel that the children immediately nicknamed ‘Nutty’, they decided the biscuit tin was the best place for it and now all the family, (including visiting grandparents), pays to indulge in a biscuit. They have collected £8.17 so far and are still going strong.
Saving native species
Fiona Sansom, Supporter Development Manager at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “The only native red squirrels left in the south of England are on islands, where they do not have to compete with the North American grey squirrels. The population on Brownsea Island benefits from continual management of their habitat and this inspired fund raising idea from Thomas and Lily will help us to continue this work.”
Dorset Wildlife Trust manages just under half of the National Trust owned island as a nature reserve. Signs are that Dorset’s red squirrels have survived the cold weather on Brownsea, with their combined strategies of burying food and taking it easy in the comfort of their dreys. The pinewoods of the island provide a good food source for them and careful management of the woods and isolation from greys ensures the survival of a population of around 200 squirrels.
Give your loved one a squirrel!
Fiona added: “We would urge people to consider adopting a red squirrel as a perfect Valentine’s Day gift a chance to show you care and at the same time support this vital conservation work. It costs £18 for the year to adopt a red squirrel (to include a cuddly toy squirrel) or £15 to adopt a dormouse. The recipient of your gift will get a certificate, a pin badge, a book, photographs and wildlife information, along with the knowledge that they have been able to support these species for another year.”
To get your adoption pack before the Valentine’s Day, order by 10th February at www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/adoptaredsquirrel or contact Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01305 264620 or mail@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk. The red squirrel adoption scheme is kindly sponsored by The John Lewis Partnership.
Get involved
Click here to find volunteering events on Brownsea Island.
Click here to read David Attenborough's messsage to the Wildlife Trust about saving red squirrels.
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