Environment

The 2024 Great Scottish Squirrel Survey has been launched by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS). 

This Red Squirrel Week, SSRS are calling on people all over Scotland to get outside, explore nature and be on the lookout for tufted ears and bushy tails for sixth annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey.

SSRS is a partnership project that is working to ensure red squirrels continue to be a part of Scotland’s special native wildlife.

In 2019, NatureScot’s Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve in Wester Ross became the UK’s first Gene Conservation Unit (GCU) for Scots pine, recognising the distinctiveness of its ancient Caledonian pine forest.

A recent Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) project led by The James Hutton Institute, in collaboration with Scotland’s Rural College, the University of Aberdeen, and the British Geological Survey, highlighted a pressing issue for Scotland: the increasing likelihood and duration of water scarcity events due to climate change.

Zero Waste Scotland is administering funding, to aid private landowners towards interventions that will prevent flytipping on private land. 

The fund aims to support innovative projects that will:

Fisheries management measures could be introduced for 20 sites in Scotland’s offshore waters that are designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), fulfilling a longstanding commitment to ensure protection for MPAs.

A consultation proposes either zoned or full restrictions on the use of specified types of fishing equipment - demersal mobile and static gear - at 15 sites.

Scotland’s whisky distillers are to benefit from government funding towards the development of a green hydrogen hub in Moray.

Scottish Government funding of £3.1 million will support the construction of a new regional hub in Speyside, bringing approximately 100 permanent high skilled, high value jobs to the area.

Dumfries and Galloway College (DGC) has proudly launched its new Net Zero Skills Centre, a significant step towards promoting sustainability and supporting local businesses in transitioning to a greener future.

This initiative, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), aims to provide businesses with the essential skills and knowledge required to adapt to the evolving demands of a low-carbon economy.

Seven community-based projects across Scotland will benefit from funding that will empower communities to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and adverse events.