Flying squirrel information and environmental education

Yellow pellets of a flying squirrel at the foot of a tree among moss.
Flying squirrel pellets. Photo: Leena Rinta-Runsala

From this page you will find the next topics:

  • Flying squirrel data, inventory methods and modelling habitat networks
  • Environmental education and communication
  • Distribution of the Siberian flying squirrel in Estonia and Finland
  • Basic information of the flying squirrel in other sources

Flying squirrel data, inventory methods and modelling habitat networks

One of our objectives is to improve the availability of flying squirrel data in Finland and Estonia. Ensuring that data on the occurrence of flying squirrels is as comprehensive and accessible as possible helps to secure habitat networks and facilitates the daily land-use planning.

In Flying squirrel LIFE project, especially Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, ELY Centre for Southwest Finland, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and Estonian Environmental Board are responsible for developing easier acces to flying squirrel data.

Flying squirrel data

A Finnish flying squirrel data bank is being compiled by the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (FinBIF), which is maintained by Luomus – Finnish Museum of Natural History. In the future, data on known forest areas inhabited by the flying squirrel will be available centrally from FinBIF. It will also be the place, where the theme page about protection of the species and securing its habitats exist, including relevant guide books and publications.

The project partners have co-authored a summary of the legislation related to the flying squirrel, monitoring, conservation and forest use practices in Finland and Estonia: Description of the current conservation legislation and management procedures of the flying squirrel in Finland and Estonia (pdf 1,04 Mt)

Flying squirrel data in Estonia is confidential and processed by environmental protection authorities. During the project, the Estonian Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet) carries out comprehensive flying squirrel inventories in Estonia.

Inventory methods

A flying squirrel inventory guide compiled by the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC) helps in identifying habitats suitable for flying squirrels and finding signs of the presence of flying squirrels, such as droppings: Flying squirrel inventory guide (pdf 2,2 Mt, sll.fi, in Finnish), Flying squirrel inventory guide, English summary (pdf 359 kt) FANC has provided also inventory trainings in the project in 2022-2023. Keskkonnaamet is compiling an inventory guide in Estonia.

ELY Centre Southwest Finland is investigating how the sense of smell in trained inventory dogs can be utilised in nature surveys: The use of conservation detection in nature conservation is new by global standards. Based on comparisons made in the Rekijokilaakso Natura 2000 area, dog skills are truly promising. The dogs performing conservation detection are real working dogs trained for the task. Read the summary report of the dog-assisted flying squirrel inventories (pdf 1.6 Mt). Videos from the dog workshop held in Rekijokilaakso in 2022 can be found from the finnish pages (in finnish). Read more about working dogs at International K9 Institute (ik9i.com)

Modelling habitat networks

The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) models habitat networks suitable for flying squirrels, i.e. areas likely to be suitable for the species, which can be illustrated on maps. They can be used for land use planning and forest use so that connections between flying squirrel habitats can be more effectively taken into account. Keskonnaamet is responsible for modelling in Estonia.

In Finland the modelling of suitable habitats are based on the knowledge of flying squirrel habitats, forest data, official species data and revising inventories in field. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation implemented the field inventories to on the habitat modelling sites in 2020. Predictive habitat maps for professional use in Finland are situated in the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (laji.fi). Read more about predictive habitat models from the press release of Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke, in Finnish).

Environmental education and communication

In Flying squirrel LIFE project we aim share information and provide educational tips related the flying squirrel in many ways:

  • Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus has published an Environmental Education Package (pdf 27 Mt, kuopionluonnontieteellinenmuseo.fi, in Finnish); summary (pdf 126 kt, kuopionluonnontieteellinenmuseo.fi)
  • In Finnish Nature Centre Haltia you can encounter with the flying squirrel in urban nature. You can explore the life of a flying squirrel through a slideshow, the VR experience glasses and the game “Next door to a flying squirrel”. In spring 2020 there was also a special exhibition about flying squirrel.
  • Mobile exhibition “Liidossa” has been built in the Kuopio Natural History Museum in the spring 2022 (kuopionluonnontieteellinenmuseo.fi, in Finnish).
  • A flying squirrel exhibition was built in the Iisaku Nature Centre, in the middle of the area where the species occurs in northeastern Estonia in summer 2023. Check out the Iisaku Nature Centre (visitestonia.com).
  • The secret life of the flying squirrel can be monitored by means of nest camera broadcasts. There have been two broadcasts:
    • Nest box video by the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (YouTube.com)
    • Nest box video by the Kuopio Natural History Museum (YouTube.com)
  • New nature trails will also provide easy access into the flying squirrel forest in Jyväskylä and Rekijokilaakso. The nature trails were made ready for hiking in 2023. An Outdoor exhibition was built in Väinölänniemi Recreation area in Kuopio.
  • There is a “flying squirrel ambassador” and nature school in Kuopio.
  • We organise a variety of events, for example, at Finnish Nature Centre Haltia.

Distribution of the Siberian flying squirrel in Finland and Estonia

Flying squirrel distribution in Finland and Estonia. In Finland, flying squirrels are found from Southern Finland to Kuusamo region, and in Estonia the species is found from Northeast parts of the country.
In Finland, the distribution of the flying squirrel is spotted from Hanko to the Kuusamo region. Individual observations have also been made in Oulu and Lapland. The species is most abundant in Ostrobothnia and southwestern Finland.
Flying squirrel observations in Finland from the Laji.fi database in 1995–2021
Map above: Flying squirrel observations in Finland from the Laji.fi database in 1995–2021 (situation on 19 January 2022). The redder the area, the more flying squirrel observations have been reported from the area. Map source: Finnish Biodiversity Info Facility (2022)
The distribution of the flying squirrel extends from Finland through Russia to the Pacific Ocean to Japan.
The distribution of the flying squirrel extends from Finland through Russia to the Pacific Ocean to Japan. Accurate data on the occurrence of the flying squirrel are not available in all areas. The map is based on Schrader (2011) and IUCN data.

Basic information of the flying squirrel in other sources

Flying Squirrel LIFE project guides and other publications can be found from the page “Guides and other publications“.

Last updated 15 April 2024

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