The advance of the grey squirrel across Northern Ireland has been relentless and over the last 3 years the situation appears to have deteriorated.  The NIEA is excited by the commitment expressed by members of the 3 local squirrel groups and would like to hear for people across Northern Ireland that feel that could volunteer some time to support the red squirrel here.  The NIEA would particularly like to have organised groups running in the south-west and north-west of the NI. Also note that the NIEA are currently supporting an MSc project run by Queens University Belfast looking into the specific needs of red squirrels in the Glens of Antrim with the aim of developing a local species action plan and are considering supporting other research projects. Further information about local squirrel groups and other NIEA involvment can be obtained from: Dr Jon Lees, Wildlife Officer, Biodiversity Unit, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Klondyke Building, Cromac Ave., Gasworks Business Park, Belfast BT7 2JA. Tel: 028 905 69551

Second Announcement & Call for Abstracts

The Fourth International Colloquium on Tree Squirrels and the First Colloquium on Flying Squirrels are envisioned as being a meeting place for researchers with an active interest in tree and flying squirrels as model systems for evolutionary and ecological studies. It is proposed that these colloquia will act as a forum for the exchange of a wide spectrum of research ideas ranging from the ecology, life history strategies, evolutionary biology and comparative phylogenetics to the conservation biology of tree and flying squirrels. The colloquia will be held between 22-29 March 2006 in Periyar Tiger Resreve, Kerala, India.

While this will be the fourth international colloquium on tree squirrels, it will be the first colloquium on flying squirrels. It will also be the first time that these colloquia are being hosted in Asia. Themes to be covered at the Colloquia: Biogeography and Distribution, Ecology, Behavioural Ecology, Plant-animal Interactions, Population Biology, Evolutionary biology, Conservation biology, and Museum Studies and Taxonomy.

The Colloquia will be accompanied by the “Conservation Priorities Workshop: Tree and Flying Squirrels in the Developing World”, which aims to highlight the paucity of research and conservation efforts directed toward squirrels in the tropics. Themes covered at the Workshop will include: Identifying priority species, the state of Science in the tropics, Forest management practices and their impacts on squirrels, and Subsistence and Commercial Hunting of Squirrels. We also propose to include a session on the techniques of surveying both diurnal and nocturnal squirrels during the Workshop.

Please find details of abstract submission and registration on our website, http://www.squirrelcolloquia.co.in or http://www.iisc.ernet.in/nias/itsc.htm

The colloquia will be officially hosted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India. For further details please visit our websites or contact Nandini R. at or