Sockbridge and Tirril Community

Meetings are held in the Village Hall.
Annual Subscription: £12, each meeting costs £2.
VISITORS WELCOME TO ALL EVENTS – men included!

Tale of two squirrels

Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group’s Trish Mansbridge gave a talk to Tirril Women’s Guild.

She gave a vivid PowerPoint presentation, entitled Tale of Two Squirrels, those two being the native red and the imported grey, which was first introduced to this country in 1876.

Trish explained that reds and greys cannot co-exist in an area because the greys are heavier and more dominant feeders, they produce more kits per year and, most seriously, carry the squirrel pox virus. This does not affect the grey, but it passes the disease on to the reds, which kills almost every red which becomes affected.

Research is being done into possible contraception and vaccination programmes for greys, but this lacks funding and the methods would be tricky to put into practice.

Penrith has six paid rangers and lots of volunteers who identify, trap and cull greys. Numbers of reds have risen from about 10,000 in 2010 to about 15,000 now.

However, she said that significant regular grants had dried and the burden of fundraising have fallen to volunteers and donors. Profits from the guild’s coffee morning will go to the group.

The competition was won by June Heslop and raffle winners were Jennifer Heaton, Jinny Hunter and Eileen Forrester.

 

The Next meeting will be: -
 
Tues 12th November 2pm: Ron East – ‘Bells and Bellringing’
 
Tues 10th Dec 2pm: AGM & Beetle Drive

Sat 14th Dec: 12.30pm, Queen’s Head: Christmas Lunch, book via June Heslop – Tel: 890322

For more information about Women's Guild contact:
June Heslop – Tel: 01768 890322