“We’re now finding evidence of new squirrels in all directions from the plantation,” she said.
“They’ve been spotted up to six miles away.”
The Yorkshire Dales Red Squirrel Alliance, formed earlier this year, now has more than 40 active volunteers.
Their work includes maintaining feeders in areas where natural food is scarce, monitoring squirrel movements and managing the population of non-native grey squirrels.
But Ms Bailey insisted that everyone had a role to play when it came to protecting red squirrels.
“When people are walking in woodlands and spot a squirrel, it’s vital they report the sighting,” she said.
“It helps us track population densities and stay vigilant about any greys.”
She also urged people not to interfere with red squirrels.
“It is absolutely essential that the public don’t encourage the hand feeding of squirrels – it does happen occasionally and is very detrimental.
“It makes red squirrels tame and it puts them at greater risk of disease transmission.”