Member Article

A Royal promise to radiant reds is honoured

Prince Harry is delighted to have honoured a promise made to Tyne Valley resident and polar explorer, Conrad Dickinson, almost 10,000 miles away in the South Pole during the ‘Walking with the Wounded’ expedition during December 2013, to visit Northumberland to see red squirrels. At the South Pole, Conrad, in his role as the Patron of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, offered to show the Prince red squirrels close to his Northumberland home and share the conservation work of the Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) partnership. Prince Harry and Conrad visited the home of Will Nicholls, a young photographer and writer from Haydon Bridge and saw for themselves, some of the red squirrels from a small photographic hide Will has been using for many years. They also talked to Marion Craig, Will’s mother, who leads the Haydon Bridge Red Squirrel Group which works to keep the local population of reds safe from the negative impacts of non-native grey squirrels which now live in the Tyne Valley. Will said: “It was amazing to share our red neighbours with Conrad and Prince Harry today. The red squirrel is an especially important species in Northumberland, and it was great to be able to talk to the Prince about our conservation efforts within the County.” Meanwhile, Conrad Dickinson said “Prince Harry and I laughed about our polar tent sharing in Antarctica, and here we were sharing a tent in Northumberland while seeing red squirrels in Will’s similarly cosy hide (!!). “The red squirrels provided us with a real thrill and I’m determined to make sure these beautiful animals remain a heritage feature Tyne Valley residents can enjoy. It’s tremendous that Prince Harry found the time in his busy schedule to visit Northumberland to promote what he saw as a very worthwhile cause. He loves red squirrels.” In the second part of Prince Harry’s search for the enigmatic animal, he visited Frankham Woods near Fourstones, where RSNE staff work alongside local residents to create space for red squirrels in woodlands recently colonised by grey squirrels. Using new thermal imaging technology coupled with traditional conservation techniques, the team are successfully helping red squirrels return to the wood. This is a typical example of the local partnerships now established across the seven English counties in which red squirrels still live. Over 600 people and groups now work together to safeguard red squirrels on the English mainland. Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive said “It has been a real privilege to showcase the efforts of the Red Squirrels Northern England partnership in the Tyne Valley. The conservation challenge remains enormous, but our science shows this collaborative approach is helping reds hold their range. Huge thanks to all our project supporters, including the Heritage Lottery Fund”.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Bishop .