A grassroots petition calling for a legal requirement to set aside at least 20% of UK woodland for red squirrel habitats has now exceeded 55,000 signatures on Change.org – but campaigners have today been left bewildered that national TV appears to only recognise celebrity involvement.
Launched by writer and conservation campaigner Marie Carter-Robb on 6 August 2025, the petition has rapidly gained momentum with tens of thousands of supporters, national press coverage, and the backing of filmmaker Terry Abraham.
Yet on today’s (4 September) edition of Good Morning Britain, a segment on red squirrel conservation failed to acknowledge the campaign’s origin or link to the petition at all – instead wrongly attributing the initiative to TV presenter Chris Packham, who simply signed the petition after being approached.
Please see Marie’s full response on Change.org, including a personal video message, here:
“This is a grassroots campaign that I created with the help of hundreds of local volunteers, red squirrel groups, and nature lovers across the UK,” said Marie.
“It’s astonishing that national TV platforms still fail to credit or even reference citizen-led efforts – particularly when they’re making such a visible impact.”
Since launching the petition, Marie (pictured left with Rufus, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) has worked closely with multiple red squirrel groups across Cumbria, Northumberland and County Durham – including conservationists and wildlife lovers – to rally support. She has personally led the campaign’s design, messaging, and outreach, creating background materials and developing a tie-in children’s book, Little Red: Warrior Squirrel, to help share the story with schools and families.
Today’s ITV news story aired without any mention of Marie or the 55,000-strong petition. Despite extensive pre-interview discussions with the show’s production team, her scheduled Zoom interview was cancelled at the last minute. A formal complaint has now been submitted to ITV for misrepresentation and failure to correct factual inaccuracies, even after producers were given clear updates and clarifications the day before the broadcast.
“We’re asking for something simple: to set aside 20% of suitable woodland for our red squirrels,” added Marie.
“Without protected, connected habitats, they won’t survive – and that’s a choice we’re making.”
The campaign is calling on MPs, local councils, landowners, and nature lovers to support its proposals, which include:
- A legal set-aside of 20% red squirrel-friendly woodland within both public and commercial forestry zones
- Greater protection and expansion of biodiverse native woodland, not just conifer monocultures
- Robust enforcement to prevent habitat destruction where red squirrels are still present
The petition is available at: change.org/save-our-reds