UK Squirrel Accord Anniversary Conference

Start: June 25, 2025 10:00 am

End: June 26, 2025 2:00 pm

Location: University of Greenwich

Ticket sales are now closed for our anniversary conference to celebrate ten years of the UK Squirrel Accord partnership. Sessions will cover conservation, management and research, and include opportunity to feed into our new multi-year strategy. A celebratory drinks reception is included on 25 June. Find out more.

Ticket sales are now closed for the UK Squirrel Accord Anniversary Conference.

On 25-26 June 2025 we are welcomed by the University of Greenwich for two days filled with insightful discussions and networking opportunities. This in-person event will bring together experts to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the UK Squirrel Accord partnership.

Sessions will cover conservation, management and research, and include opportunity to feed into the development of our new multi-year strategy – see below for the list of sessions and talks. A drinks reception with guests and a poster session is included on the evening of the first day.

Thanks to our conference sponsors: Red Squirrel Survival Trust and University of Greenwich

This is a unique opportunity to celebrate, explore and connect.

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Conference speakers

Guest speakers

Baroness Hayman of Ullock – Parliamentary Under-Secretary Department of Food & Rural Affairs

Geraint Richards MVO – Head Forester for the Duchy of Cornwall and to His Majesty The King

Sir William Worsley – Chair – Forestry Commission

Conservation

Leveraging invasive grey squirrel management for ecotoxicological monitoring – Cheryl Heard – Zoological Society of London

Pine martens and squirrels – conservation and conflict – Katy Bell – Ulster Wildlife

Red squirrel conservation in Northern England – Mike Denbury – Red Squirrels Northern England

The effect of anthropogenic noise on red squirrel and pine marten behaviour – Emily Legge – Queen’s University Belfast

Urban ecology and conservation of the Eurasian red squirrel – Dr Kat Hamill – Nottingham Trent University

Disease

How does the invasive grey squirrel influence Lyme disease ecology in the UK? – Dr Katie August & Dr Holly Broadhurst – University of Greenwich & University of Salford

Stakeholder perceptions of a One Health approach to managing grey squirrels and tick-borne disease in the UK – Dr Harry Marshall – Forest Research

Fertility control

How do you solve a problem like the grey squirrel? – Rebecca Pinkham – Animal & Plant Health Agency

Grey squirrel fertility control and the benefits for tree health – Sarah Beatham – Animal & Plant Health Agency

Overview of fertility control efforts around the world – Professor Giovanna Massei – Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control

Genetics

Applying genetic research to strengthen red squirrel conservation in fragmented habitats – Dr Rebecca Synnott – South East Technological University

Conservation genomics of Scottish red squirrels: implications for UK species restoration – Professor Rob Ogden – University of Edinburgh

Genetic diversity and selection pressure in endangered populations – Dr Emily Hardouin – Bournemouth University

UK Squirrel Accord

Celebrating ten-years of the UK Squirrel Accord – Rebecca Isted – Forestry Commission

Defining UK Squirrel Accord priorities for the next five years – Kay Haw – UK Squirrel Accord

Developing a national red squirrel recovery strategy for England – Dr Caio Kenup – Zoological Society of London

Expanding collaborative grey squirrel management – Julie Bailey – UK Squirrel Accord

Workshop session

Building a spatial database to understand forest and tree susceptibility to invasive grey squirrel damage in British woodlands – Alexandra Ash – University of Southampton