Activist’s life has ‘gone nuts’
Last updated 13:36, Thursday, 11 September 2008
GREY squirrels have long outnumbered reds throughout Britain, and in recent years that number has increased.
It is believed that there are two million greys running around gleefully in our woodlands compared to around 30,000 red squirrels in England.
Introduced to the UK in the 1920s, the non-native American greys have continued to expand through the decades at a cost to the red population.
The squirrels from the USA carry a virus that is deadly to the British reds – the squirrelpox virus – and have muscled them out from their homes and food supplies.
This situation is something that Longbyre resident Jan Kippax (49) is striving to change.
Situated in the rural Greenhead area, Jan has seen the decline of the red squirrels occur before her very eyes.
The plight of the reds in the North of England has forced her to set up action groups to gather support in their fight to save their furry friends.
While at work one day, she noticed that the regular visits of the red squirrels abruptly stopped and were being replaced by sightings of greys instead.
In March of last year, she decided that enough was enough and action was needed.
Out of this came the introduction of Squirrel Action Greenhead/Gilsland (SAGG), which aims to trap and dispatch grey squirrels caught on land throughout the area.
Starting from humble beginnings, the action group has now expanded and is enjoying a successful cull of more than 100 grey squirrels.
She said: “At first, it was just me making my mouth go, saying I will come and dispatch them all by myself. But now there are 15-20 people working with me.
“All the active people working with SAGG have different skills and are of all ages and walks of life. For example, dear old ladies are always keen to help out with fundraisers.
“People are really dead keen to help in all different ways but we do need more people.”
Explaining a normal routine to get rid of a grey squirrel, the schedule sounds like a complex one.
If somebody spots a grey squirrel in the area, Jan is asking for them to call her and she will contact the closest volunteer.
The volunteer will then come to the home with a trap, and show the caller how to set and maintain the trap, and then how to dispatch the caught squirrel.
Alternatively, volunteers can be called out to dispatch the animal if the caller is too squeamish!
Jan, however, has an easier method to get rid of the nuisance of the greys but realises that it will never come into fruition.
She said: “To be perfectly honest, we need to get the Army in and get the Government on board. They have got the manpower to clear all the trees!”
SAGG is part of a region-wide umbrella group that Jan Kippax helped set up with a few friends.
The group – Northern Red Squirrels (NRS) – has 45 voluntary groups across Northumberland and Cumbria and is rapidly expanding.
The aim of the group is to raise awareness of the threat of the grey squirrel throughout the North East.
Although member numbers is on the increase, Jan is still calling for more volunteers to come forward in their fight to save the red squirrels.
She said: “We do need more people who could help take traps and spread the word. We have got to keep the momentum going.
“Everybody has to be aware and help us if we want to keep red squirrels in our gardens and woodlands.”
Although NRS is not the only red squirrel protection group in the area, Jan believes it is the most dedicated organisation.
She does not agree with some of the policies adopted by Save our Squirrels (SOS), a Red Alert North England project, particularly the idea of only culling greys within a certain geographical area.
She said: “If there is a grey squirrel, it is on our patch no matter where it is.
“SOS works in buffer zones. The zones should not exist and we should get rid of the grey squirrels. It doesn’t matter what side of the street they are on.
“However, we are working together greatly with SOS now and passing on sightings to each other.”
It is not only support she has received from people since she started up the action group, with one angry website user labelling her a Nazi.
The killing of grey squirrels is not something that Jan and her fellow volunteers enjoy doing – and she is keen to point that out.
Instead, she sees it as a necessity.
She said: “SAGG is not a killing machine; I see it as a necessary evil. I don’t like killing grey squirrels but it has to be done.
“It is not fair that one species is allowed to wipe out another so we need to control them and keep their numbers down to give the reds a fighting chance.”
Her life has dramatically changed since she founded SAGG, admitting: “My life has gone nuts since I have started protecting the squirrels.”
Born and bred in South Shields, she moved to Haydon Bridge when her husband Chris got a job at Tait’s Transport.
The couple have been living at Longbyre since 1985 and have never looked back.
While living in Haydon Bridge she worked as a cleaner at Hexham General Hospital, but the travelling to and from work on a daily basis became too much of a chore. This saw her seek employment at Housesteads Roman Fort, before moving on to her current workplace four and a half years ago.
Jan is employed as a visit operations team member at Chesters Roman Fort, Chollerford, and loves going to work every morning.
“I absolutely love my job. It is a great place to work and I wouldn’t swap it for the world,” she said.
“We have often said that we could write a book on the varied and interesting questions we get asked.”
The job also combines one of her favourite past-times – spending time in the great outdoors.
There is nothing more Jan likes than to go walking in the Highland breeze with her dog, Jack Daniel, the springer spaniel.
The keen walker has already completed five of the Wainwright Fells and is determined to conquer all 214.
She said: “I love the outdoors and being out and about. I get out as often as I can. When you live in such a fantastic area, you have to make the most of the opportunities.”
Approaching her 50th birthday, Jan has dreams to celebrate reaching the milestone at Everest Basecamp – although she acknowledges that it may be just a dream!
