Residents in Formby love Red Squirrels!
Red Squirrels are so important to Formby thanks to the Pine Woodlands of National Trust, Formby. So, when Woodlands Lodge Care Home in Formby, part of the Kingsley Healthcare Group, heard that it was ‘Red Squirrel Appreciation Day’ they wanted to celebrate this special day and celebrate in style they did!
Residents, relatives and many people from the local community visited the home to enjoy their ‘Red Squirrel Appreciation Day’ with a wonderful talk by Melissa from Lancashire Wildlife Trust who gave a fabulous presentation about the conservation work being done for the preservation of Red Squirrels in Formby and the wider north west area.
Melissa and her colleague Beth, from Knowsley Safari Park spoke about the Volunteers from the Trust who work tirelessly to support conservation work undertaken by the Trust, their future long-term plans as well as how everyone can get involved and play their part to ensure that Red Squirrels continue to thrive, with their population increasing year-on-year for the benefit of generations to come.
Everyone was enthralled by the talk and were delighted to hear that they could play a part, by reporting sightings of red squirrels to help track the red squirrel population.
It was fascinating to hear about the Red Squirrels differ from Grey Squirrels. Many of the visitors from the Formby area talked about Red Squirrels that regularly visit their gardens and how playful they are with each other.
Melissa and Beth also shared a map tracking Red Squirrels across the North West which was amazing to see, especially as there are now thriving Red Squirrel populations in Knowsley and up in Cumbria and into Scotland.
Woodland Lodge has made a donation to ‘Adopt two Red Squirrels’ and look forward to keeping regular contact with the team and getting regular updates on the important work and projects the team are involved with.
A truly wonderful afternoon was enjoyed by everyone with a lovely hot drink and delicious home-made cupcakes, decorated with a ‘I LOVE Squirrels’ and were delighted to receive their Red Squirrel Day badge from the home which they wore with great pride celebrating a hugely successful Red Squirrel Appreciation Day.
