The Caldew Squirrel Initiative (CSI) is a charity formed in March 2022 to support red squirrel conservation efforts across an area surrounding the River Caldew and the villages of Hesket Newmarket, Caldbeck, Sebergham, Welton and Dalston in Cumbria.

The charity is a collaboration between local volunteers, landowners and conservationists that aims to preserve the native red squirrel population and their natural habitat via an all year round programme of camera monitoring, supplementary feeding, recorded sightings and grey squirrel control.

The local red squirrel population is fighting hard against the constant threat from grey squirrels and we really need your help. The non-native greys outcompete the reds for food & habitat and also carry a virus which is lethal to reds if they come into contact with each other. Greys are also responsible for extensive forestry damage.

Early intervention is key to helping us maintain the progress we have made so far. Therefore we have launched a major fundraising campaign to provide much needed resources, our main target being £2,500 to acquire a thermal imaging camera designed to help field volunteers identify squirrel activity in the woodland canopy.

Please consider a donation to support our campaign.

Your gift will help continue our vital conservation work and preserve red squirrels in our local community for future generations.