Get 'reddy' for Red Squirrel Awareness Week and help safeguard the future of the species.

Dorset Wildlife Trust is asking animal lovers to do something a little different and adopt a red squirrel this autumn.

Currently only around 200 red squirrels are on Brownsea Island and the trust is keen to ensure that numbers do not diminish.

A one-year adoption will support Dorset Wildlife Trust's conservation work ensuring the red squirrels have the ideal conditions to thrive.

The adoption pack includes a certificate, red squirrel photograph, pin badge, facts about red squirrels, an update from the Brownsea warden and a red squirrel soft toy.

The red squirrel adoption packs are kindly sponsored by John Lewis ensuring all money raised by the purchase of the packs goes straight to the trust's conservation work.

Once common, red squirrels have declined rapidly since the 1950’s. Numbers in the UK have fallen from around 3.5 million, to a current estimated population of around 120,000, of which 75 per cent or more are in Scotland.

Red squirrels continue to be in serious decline due to disease, the loss and fragmentation of woodland habitat and competition from the more robust grey squirrel. There are only a handful of refuges left for red squirrels in the UK.

Conservation efforts include establishing buffer areas around the strongholds with control of grey squirrels, ongoing monitoring, helping landowners to improve habitat for squirrels, involving local schools and communities and using forest planning to maximise the value of forests for squirrels.

Strongholds are Scotland, the Lake District and Northumberland with some isolated, remnant populations further south in both England and Wales including Anglesey, Formby in Lancashire, Brownsea Island in Dorset and the Isle of Wight.

Red Squirrel Awareness Week runs from today (Saturday, September 23) until Sunday, October 1.

For more information or to adopt a red squirrel visit dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/redsquirreladoption.html