A Christmas Gift For Manx Nature

Two Biosphere Partners have come together to give Manx nature the ultimate gift of more space this Christmas...Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) have bought 43 acres of moorland and blanket bog, extending the Dalby Mountain Nature Reserve thanks to funding from Island-based asset management firm, Resilience.

The land purchase represents a 62% expansion of the existing 69-acre nature reserve, which MWT originally acquired in 1995. In total, the newly expanded reserve (MWT’s only upland reserve) is now over 112 acres, overtaking MWT Creg y Cowin Nature Reserve to become MWT’s second largest reserve on the Island after MWT Glion Darragh Nature Reserve.

The new land is of exceptional ecological importance and landscape character, forming an excellent example of blanket bog. It is recognised as being of international significance for nature conservation as both a Candidate Ramsar Site (for its blanket bog habitat) and also as part of the Isle of Man Hills Important Bird Area for Hen Harrier. It is also Registered Heathland and adjacent to the Glen Rushen Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI). MWT will be seeking its designation as both an ASSI and as a fully confirmed Ramsar Wetland.

David Bellamy, Head of Conservation and land at MWT said: ‘Until today, MWT only owned about a third of this bog, but now the entire ecological unit is under our perpetual stewardship. The site supports key species including Round-leaved Sundew, Bog Asphodel, Orchids, Sphagnum mosses, Cotton-grass, Hen Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Bunting, Cuckoo, Curlew, Short-eared Owl, Skylark, Snipe and Jack Snipe – to name but a few! In time, this acquisition will help us to raise awareness of the importance of our Island’s precious peatlands.’

He continued: ‘Notably this site requires next to no management, and impressively has been acquired at no cost to MWT, being our second acquisition this year facilitated by Green Finance. Indeed, not only has the full purchase cost been kindly paid for by Resilience Asset Management, but so have the legal fees. A huge thank you to Greg Easton and his team, who have decided that this parcel of land will be known as ‘Creeney-chreeagh’, meaning ‘wise-hearted’ in Manx. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all of our reserve volunteers, be they Muckers, Bashers, Wetlanders, Calf Wardens or our Rainforesters. Without them, we couldn’t entertain expanding our impressive estate of nature reserves further to help the Island achieve its ’30 by 30’ obligation.’

Greg Easton, Managing Director at Resilience Asset Management said: ‘When we completed our Management-Buyout in May 2024 we made a commitment to setting aside 10% of our management fees for conservation. Everyone who has invested with us this year, through their pensions or directly can now say they have helped to preserve this habitat for future generations. We are incredibly fortunate to have a business within a UNESCO Biosphere and to be able to contribute to the Island’s 30 by 30 target gives us an enormous sense of purpose.’