Tollymore Red Squirrel Group Charity Number: NIC102355
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Secretary’s Report prepared for 11" Annual General Meeting, 11 June We have had a positive year. Red squirrels were seen in June 2024 posing for tourists. The young squirrels were enjoying the attention as they played on the lower branches of a tree situated between Clanbrassel barn and the forest rangers’ hut. Out and About Many thanks to Angela for enabling us to have a table in the environment marquee at the Castlewellan Show in July last year. There was a lot of interest from the public. Farmers were reporting an increase in red squirrel sightings on their land. Children were particularly fascinated by our stuffed red squirrels. We aim to have a presence at the Castlewellan Show again this year. The date for your diary is Saturday 19" July. We held a fund raiser in Tollymore Park on Monday 26" August, from 10.30am — 12.30 md. Many thanks to the Forest Service for supporting this endeavour. Members of the public were very supportive of the Charity and children were keenly interested. It was a hot day, a large squirrel was dancing, and our collection buckets got filled. We raised £178. We are aiming for a similar funding raising event on the August bank holiday again this year. To mark National Tree Week, we led a guided walk and talk about Red Squirrel Conservation from the Heather Hut in Tollymore Park, on Sunday 1% December 2024. Children took at interest in colouring pictures of Red Squirrels, and adults enjoyed a walk to one of our feeders and afterwardsa film about the life cycle of red squirrels. We are aiming to host a similar walk and talk at 2pm on Sunday 30" November this year.
Big Storm
The big storm hit Tollmore Park on 24'" January this year and caused concern about the wellbeing of the red squirrels, their dreys, their food source and their supplementary feeders. The park was closed for safety reasons, and we were advised not to enter. One week later, a TRSG volunteer and a Forest Service Warden, wearing safety gear, assessed the situation. Three of the supplementary feeders were located and in good condition. Supplementary feed was put into two feeders to support the population of Red Squirrels. Two weeks later the remaining
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three squirrel feeders were located and found to be in good condition. A big thank you to the Forest Service Staff for their help in refilling the feeders while the park remained closed to the public. It was a great example of partnership in action for the conservation of the Red Squirrel. Since the storm, the Red Squirrel population appears healthy in the park, with many sightings all over the park and in some neighbouring estates and gardens. We continue to informally monitor the Red Squirrel population twice each year, using motion activated wildlife cameras. In 2024. there were sightings of pine martens. So far this year, there are none. Donard Wood It was a great relief to many that the proposed Gondola which would have been constructed through Donard Wood was cancelled. This will prevent the felling of
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‘numerous trees that are food sources and home sites to the red squirrel and other wildlife, such as the crossbills who return each winder to feed on the larch cone seeds. Risk Assessment and License Agreement
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A big thank you to Sean and Eugene who inspect and maintain our red squirrel feeders. Thank you to Anne for once again leading on the Risk Assessment and License Agreement for 2025.
11 June 2025 A (lI-Crea mS A | L | 2ORS en leks LS"