Urban Squirrels with Natalia Doran

We are talking to Natalia Doran on this week’s Wildlife Matters Podcast. Natalia founded Urban Squirrels, a London-based specialist grey squirrel rescue and is also an advocate for wildlife, being on the council of Animal Aid, a trustee of Farplace Animal Rescue and the academic charity Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals. 

The Grey Squirrel, a cherished and frequently spotted creature, especially in urban areas, is under grave threat. It is one of the most targeted wild animals, with our wildlife conservation organisations resorting to culling. Moreover, Natural England classified it as an invasive species in 2019, further jeopardising its survival.

Our relationship with squirrels in Britain has always been complicated. Our native red squirrel species is extinct, and we are protecting imported reds from European countries. 

However, the main reason reds are in trouble in Britain has nothing to do with grey squirrels; it is about the loss of suitable habitat. Remember, reds are an arboreal species of pine and coniferous forests.

In this wide-ranging episode interview, Nadia discusses many of the issues faced by Grey squirrels in Britain today and has some insightful ways that all of us can help the grey squirrels in our local areas.

I hope you found Natalia's discussion valuable today—I certainly did. 

I hope it has inspired some of you to take action, advocate, share positive stories and news about Grey Squirrels on your social media platforms, and uphold the positivity that Natalia radiates for grey squirrels in the future.

We encourage anyone who can get a squirrel aviary in their garden or on land they own. Nadia and her team at Urban Squirrels can guide you through the licensing process and may even help you obtain grants to fund the aviary and equipment you need.

The show notes include links to Urban Squirrels’ website and social media channels, but it's worth repeating the website address, as it contains all the information you need: www.urbansquirrels.co.uk.

And that’s a wrap for another Wildlife Matters Podcast. 

We will be back in two weeks’ time and will be sharing a very special adventure with a solstice theme that we know you will enjoy. Until then, keep a wild heart and an open mind.

Urban Squirrels Contact Details

Website - www.urbansquirrels.co.uk

 Social Media Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/UrbanSquirrelsRescue

 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/urban_squirrels/

Twitter/X -  https://twitter.com/squirrels_urban

Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@urbansquirrels

Wildlife Matters is an independent podcast focussed on sharing the oy of nature and wildlife whilst actively working to educate, inform and eliminate the persecution of wildlife species and the pollution and destruction of natural habitats, the lack of biodiversity, and mitigate the impact of climate change.

The Wildlife Matters Podcast is on all good podcast platforms, or listen on our website. www.wildlife-matters.org

Wildlife Matters is on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter. Please like, follow and share, and if you would like to support our work and keep us proudly independent, please consider becoming a Patreon supporter via this link: https://www.patreon.com/join/WildlifeMatters

The Wildlife Matters Podcast is currently released on alternate Wednesdays.