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National Red Squirrel Week Book Launch Set For Sandown's Wildheart Animal Sanctuary

National Red Squirrel Week is upon us, with a book signing event at Sandown's Wildheart Animal Sanctuary set to mark the occasion.

Running until October 16, the national event coincides with the announcement that 30 years of dedicated red squirrel work and study by Wight Squirrel Project has resulted in a new publication.

'Red Squirrels on the Isle of Wight', written by Helen Butler MBE, is a detailed record of the conservation work taking place on the Isle of Wight dating from 1991 to 2022.

Helen said:

“If it wasn’t for lockdown and a lot of help with typing, running graphs and proof-reading I don’t think this book would ever have been finished.

"I’m grateful to the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary for hosting the launch event."

The aim of the publication is to provide a reference document for future red squirrel workers and enthusiasts to use so they can continue to map the progress of the population of our Island's red squirrels.

Tickets are available online to attend the launch on Thursday October 13.

While detailed reading will appeal to some, others may prefer a more concise slice of data, with Helen's pocketbook — originally published in 2004 — also available for those wanting a lighter tome. 

The large new books cost £63 each to produce. Wight Squirrel Project is subsidising them to bring the retail price down to £35.  

The Museum of Ryde is acting as a pickup point but interested people are asked to contact Helen in the first instance by emailing [email protected] or phoning 611003.

A spokesperson for the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary said:

“We at the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary are delighted to announce and host the book launch that intrinsically details more than 30 years of study and observations of our Island's Red Squirrel population.”

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