Back in 2009, red squirrels were thin on the ground in Aberdeen - instead grey squirrels were a common sight in the city's trees and parks.
Today the red squirrel population is thriving thanks to the efforts of a group of volunteers and their "citizen science".
It is thought the invasive, non-native greys have been almost eradicated locally - and there is now evidence of red squirrel activity yards from the city's main thoroughfare.
The turnaround is seen as a huge achievement for Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels (SSRS) - a partnership project led by Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) - which has been working to save the species for the past 16 years.
Its north east community co-ordination and outreach officer is former primary school teacher Naomi Bentley, who has dreamed of working in conservation since childhood.
