Latest news with #ManxWildlifeTrust
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
New Manx Wildlife Trust group boss keen to restore habitats
The new boss of a wildlife conservation group has said he is "excited" to continue the organisation's work to restore the island's habitats. Graham Makepeace-Warne has been appointed chief executive of Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT), taking over from Leigh Morris from Makepeace-Warne, who joined the group 2018 as its head of engagement, said it was a "tremendous honour" to lead MWT "at such a crucial time for nature"."I'm excited to build on our successes of restoring habitats, protecting our wildlife, and working with our community to inspire action for nature," he said. "It is very fulfilling work, it is a fantastic team so to be taking on a leadership role is wonderful news." 'Lasting benefits' Mr Makepeace-Warne said while he was not planning on making any "big, sweeping changes", he was looking to "get a more regular income stream so that we can stabilise the organisation". Exciting projects for the organisation included plans to transform land at Glen Auldyn into a temperate rainforest, as well as work to create a carbon registry for the island to track and manage carbon credit, he it was a "really exciting time for nature" on the island, there was "a lot of work to do", he the appointment, chairman of the MWT trustees said Mr Makepeace-Warne would "continue to grow" the organisations "influence" as well as delivering "tangible, lasting benefits for nature and people" on the island. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Hundreds of acres of rare temperate rainforest to be restored on Isle of Man
Hundreds of acres of rainforest are to be restored on the Isle of Man, in the largest project so far in a £38 million scheme to revive the rare habitat. Manx Wildlife Trust will restore 750 acres of temperate rainforest at Glen Auldyn, a 1,100 acre-landscape that also includes peat, protected heathland, wetlands and species-rich grasslands which will not be planted on, along with areas used by red-listed birds including curlew. The multimillion-pound project is the largest to enter the Wildlife Trusts' rainforest recovery programme, backed by £38 million from insurance giant Aviva, to restore a vanishing habitat and make it resilient to climate change, and will form the largest nature reserve on the Isle of Man. Wildlife experts describe temperate rainforest, a globally rare habitat that once swathed western coasts of England, Wales, Scotland, the island of Ireland and the Isle of Man, as the 'jewel in the crown' of the country's landscapes but warn they are a pale shadow of their former selves. The area of Britain covered by these woodlands has shrunk from a fifth to just 1%, cleared for timber, commercial forestry and agriculture. The surviving fragments of native wet woodland rich in lichen, moss and ferns as well as an array of rare and special wildlife, face multiple threats including isolation, invasive species and rising temperatures which put their unique micro-climate at risk. But restoring and linking up these remaining areas can make them more resilient to climate change, and provide natural services from supporting wildlife and access to nature, to storing carbon and reducing flood risk, conservationists say. Manx Wildlife Trust said local communities in and around Ramsey in the north of the Isle of Man will be closely involved in the project, with increased access to nature, volunteering, education and employment opportunities, while restoration will also help reduce the high risk of flooding. The last few fragments of rainforests in the Isle of Man are largely confined to steep-sided gorges of the glens, many close to Glen Auldyn. Tree seeds including Manx oak, downy birch, mountain ash, holly, alder, willows and hazel will be gathered from the glens and grown in the trust's nursery, which was set up to provide trees for Manx Wildlife Trust's rainforest restoration at other sites, Creg y Cowin and Glion Darragh. There will be an initial two years conducting ecological surveys of the moorland, peatland, glens and existing woodland while livestock grazing will continue, with longer term plans to continue farming appropriate areas of the reserve. David Bellamy, head of conservation and land at Manx Wildlife Trust, said: 'We are thrilled to start this exciting new chapter to restore the Isle of Man's natural heritage. 'The recovery of Glen Auldyn's temperate rainforest will not only create an invaluable habitat for wildlife but will also provide multiple benefits for local communities, including reduced flood risk and greater access to beautiful woodland.' Leigh Morris, Manx Wildlife Trust's chief executive, described it as a 'landmark moment' for the charity and the Isle of Man. 'Glen Auldyn is over seven times the size of our largest nature reserve and its size provides a fantastic opportunity for landscape scale nature conservation and create a model for how the Isle of Man uplands could be managed in future,' he said. Claudine Blamey, chief sustainability officer at Aviva, said: 'Aviva is proud to support such a transformative project, which not only enhances the beauty and biodiversity of the island but also provides lasting benefits to local communities, including green jobs, tourism and improved flood resilience, helping them get ready for the future.'
BBC News
14-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Glen Auldyn rainforest to be Isle of Man's largest nature reserve
Plans to create the Isle of Man's largest nature reserve as part of a £38m temperate rainforest restoration scheme have been Wildlife Trusts programme aims to re-establish "rare and biodiverse" rainforests across the world, aiming to remove 800,000 tonnes of carbon from the at Glen Auldyn on the outskirts of Ramsey is to become home to a variety of trees, set to evolve over many decades, marking the second project of its kind in the Wildlife Trust chief executive Leigh Morris said it would "connect fragments of forest in the north of the island" and "coherently join them together". Creg y Cowin in East Baldwin was named in 2023 as one of the first places to benefit from the recovery the 750 acres (303 hectares) zoned for planting in Glen Auldyn represents the largest area to enter the programme so far. Mr Morris said: "Its size provides a fantastic opportunity for landscape scale nature conservation and creates a model for how the Isle of Man uplands could be managed in the future."We're really hoping that this glen and the moorland that goes with it becomes an example of how the wildlife trust and the local community and farming can really work together." The site is set to become over seven times the size of the island's largest nature seeds have been gathered from glens across the island, to be grown at a nursery in the nearby Milntown include the native Manx oak, downy birch, mountain ash, holly, alder, willows, and hazel. Mr Morris said MWT also hoped the reserve would encourage more diverse wildlife back to the area. He said ring ouzels and wood warblers no longer nested on the island, but "maybe they'll come back when we build that forest".While the funding from the scheme had enabled the project to be brought forward, Mr Morris said it had been a long term goal of the organisation. He said it was "in the ambition of Manx Wildlife Trust for decades" and was "part of a whole ambition to try to connect fragments of forest in the north of the island and try and coherently join them together"."There's a far stronger longer term ambition about the north of the island and bringing woodlands and forest back. It's a special moment," he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
25-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Manx Wildlife Week 'draws attention' to conservation groups' work
A week of events is set to take place on the Isle of Man to "draw attention" to the valuable work done by Manx conservation groups, one of the programme's organisers has annual Manx Wildlife Week, which began in 2017, will this year run from Saturday until 5 May and feature 40 events across the island. Organised by Manx National Heritage (MNH), activities include bat walks, dolphin watching at the Sound, peat restoration, and the removal of the invasive Pacific oyster McCoy, curator of natural history at the MNH, said the week was a "great opportunity to meet experts" and gain "insight" into the island's wildlife. 'Unsung heroes' Having a "closer connection to where we live can always add something to our day-to-day lives", she week, which is run in partnership with Manx Wildlife Trust and Unesco Biosphere Isle of Man, aims to enable the public to learn more about the island's wildlife, landscapes and biodiversity. Most of the week's activities are free to attend. While some are "drop-in" events, others have to be booked in 40 events include guided walks, evening talks, and practical workshops from a variety of the island's wildlife and conservation who work on nature projects on the island are "unsung heroes", said Ms McCoy, who said it was "important to draw attention to all the wonderful work carried out by conservation groups that support the island's biodiversity". She added: "We truly appreciate everyone getting involved and hope you will join us in exploring, discovering and supporting our wonderful Manx nature."Some of the weeks events are drop-in while others need to be booked. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Leader 'instrumental' in growth of wildlife group
A conservation group leader who has been "instrumental" in ensuing the growth of the organisation is moving on after five years in the post. Manx Wildlife Trust chief executive Leigh Morris will leave the post in May to take on the role of Director of International Nature and Climate at the Wildlife Trusts. Mr Morris, who took up the post in September 2019, said he was leaving with a "sense of pride " in what had been accomplished and "a deep confidence in the team". His new role, which works with an association of 46 local trusts including the Isle of Man, aims to bridge the gap between local conservation efforts and global environmental challenges. He said the last five years had been "a wonderful chapter of my life", and he was "particularly proud" of the work carried out during the group's 50th anniversary in 2023 and its receipt of the King's Award for Voluntary Service. "Though I will be embarking on a new chapter, I know that my connection to MWT and the Isle of Man is far from over," he added. A spokesman for the Manx Wildlife Trust said that Mr Morris had been "instrumental" in expanding the charity's work and "ensuring its growth". He would continue to be involved in the Inter-island Environment Meeting, which will be hosted on the Isle of Man for the first time in September. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X. Volunteers sought to guide conservation charity King's Award honours 'backbone of wildlife trust' Manx Wildlife Trust seeks new woodland rangers Manx Wildlife Trust The Wildlife Trusts
