Clwyd West MS, Darren Millar, who is the Red Squirrel Species Champion in the Senedd, has applauded work being carried out to protect Red Squirrels at Clocaenog Forest after visiting the site yesterday.

Darren visited the forest with Clare Pillman, the Chief Executive of Natural Resources Wales, to meet with volunteers from the Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust and receive an update on their conservation work.

Darren, who last visited the Trust in 2018,  said:

“It was great to return to Clocaenog Forest for an update on the ongoing work being carried out at the site to protect these adorable creatures.

“During my visit I heard how the Trust is using the latest technology to track the squirrels to learn more about their movements, range and behaviour in order to support their efforts to boost the population in the locality.

“Red Squirrel populations have declined since the introduction of the grey squirrel in 1876, and it is now thought that there are less than 138,000 red squirrels left in the UK. The Clocaenog Forest is one of three areas in Wales which are home to wild red squirrels and I applaud all the work being carried out by the volunteers to try and prevent their decline.

“I encourage people to find out more about the fantastic work they do and how they can volunteer by visiting their website https://clocaenog-rst.org/”

Chris Bamber,  Chair of the Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust, said:

“The red squirrel is one of the UK’s rarest mammals. The Trust aims to protect and conserve red squirrels in Clocaenog Forest,. We Work with key partner organisations and individuals to advance red squirrel conservation.

“We are very keen to engage local people and the wider community about the benefits of nature and heritage conservation and to raise awareness of the plight of red squirrels.

“I thank Darren for his visit and for all he does in his role as the Red Squirrel Species Champion in the Senedd.”