Islanders and visitors have been raising funds for a red squirrel viewing hide for the past two years through the "Gift to Nature" scheme. This involves around 70 tourism businesses on the Isle of Wight and literally thousands of tourists who make voluntary donations.
The Isle of Wight supports the largest population of red squirrels in southern England, making it an area of natural heritage significance. Red squirrels are very elusive and few local people or visitors see them or know much about them.
This scheme seeks to redress this situation by:
working with local people and experts to investigate people's awareness of red squirrels; creating a viewing hide in a popular and accessible part of the Parkhurst Forest; developing fun and informative interpretative materials and activities.The hide will be open to the general public with full wheelchair access and will be used for school and group visits. The path leading to the hide will use carvings and interpretative signs to create a "squirrel trail".
