Skipton Community Fund helps protect Jersey’s squirrels

Skipton Community Fund have supported Jersey Trees for Life with their project to protect squirrels from the dangers of traffic, through the erection of rope bridges and hedgerow corridors around the Island.

Jersey Trees for Life took over the project from the Environmental Department at the end of last year, but despite huge support from the public had struggled to find funding to commence work on the rope bridges. Thanks to the contribution from the Community Fund, the project is now well underway providing safe passage to squirrels through the trees, as well as erecting poles to support the bridges where necessary.

Alongside this project, funding from Skipton will also be used towards the Hedgerow Campaign which looks to replace or grow new hedges for local species to inhabit such as hedgehogs, insects, bats and birds. These hedgerow corridors will also allow animals, including squirrels, to travel safely about the Island.

Beverley Dallas-Chapman, Senior Community Fundraiser at Jersey Trees for Life, said: “The Red Squirrel is one of Jersey’s most treasured animals and there is a lot of local support when it comes to protecting them. We are working closely with the JSPCA to identify ‘hot spot’ areas where a lot of causalities have been found and where the bridges could be hugely beneficial. We are very grateful to Skipton for their generous grant which has enabled us to make a start on this project at a time when it is desperately needed.”

The charity has also received a donation of rope from Ports of Jersey which has been used on the bridges.

Lorraine McLean, Mortgage Sales Manager at Skipton International, said: “We are so pleased to be able to help with this conservation project. Jersey is home to so many rare species such as the Red Squirrel and as an organisation we would like to do our part in preserving their habitat to protect their numbers.”

Anyone that is interested in contributing to the project or having a squirrel rope bridge erected should contact Beverly by email at beverley@jerseytreesforlife.org. For further details on how your organisation could make an application to the Skipton Community Fund visit www.skiptoninterntional.com/community-fund