Tree-planting initiative seeks more helpers

The Isle of Man Woodland Trust is planting thousands of native trees for wildlife, an action that also helps to mitigate climate change. The volunteer-run scheme needs more helpers. Membership coordinator Clara Barker explains more:

Climate Change. It’s everywhere. Not just “climate change” the all too familiar, dangerously-close-to-losing-all-meaning two word alliterated sentence at the top of this article, but the actual, real thing. Climate Change The Destroyer™ is actually happening all over the only planet we’ve got and many educated minds out there are desperately imploring us to do something about it.

So, we’re recycling more, we’re buying less and we’re even remembering to take our bags for life out with us when we go to the shops. The tech-savvy among us who haven’t yet forsaken social media busy ourselves sharing videos of turtles being rescued on beaches and signing petitions to ban fracking and single-use plastic.

There’s more we could do though and, if we’re honest, we know it.

You can come and help us plant trees if you like. Since we formed in 2004, members of the Isle of Man Woodland Trust have planted more than 18,000 trees in Manx soil. We have put in tree saplings all over the Island, mostly on private land. A few notable exceptions are the publically accessible Centenary Park on Birch Hill in Onchan and Eyreton Wood in Crosby.

Have we saved the planet? No, we haven’t. Well spotted. But we are steadfastly and consistently doing our bit and we could really do with a few more hands on deck.

Trees are great. We know that, don’t we? They ‘breathe in’ what we breathe out and then, they ‘breathe out’ what we breathe in. Hold the phone, back the truck up and say ‘what’ again – I dare you. Just think about that for a minute. You already know that trees absorb carbon dioxide and create oxygen but maybe it’s one of those facts you’ve taken as given for too long and not really thought about for a while. Bees make honey. Tomatoes are fruits. Trees make oxygen. Crikey!

Planting season is over for now and we’ll spend the time leading up to the new season, starting in October, tending to the trees we have already planted and maintaining our Centenary Park site.

We usually get together on Sundays and work for around two hours before stopping for refreshments. We take care of the teas and coffees but, very often, our volunteers bring along baked goods to share. You don’t have to bake cakes to come and join in the fun though – just wear something sturdy on your feet and clothes you won’t mind getting dirty.

Feel free to bring the kids along, too, if you’re looking for something fun and free to do with them at the weekend. As well as the fact that they’ll (hopefully) tire themselves out by breathing in lots of lovely fresh air, you get to teach them a bit more about caring for our world and the sense of accomplishment which comes after doing your bit for your community and your environment.

If you’d like to be kept up to date with what we’re doing, please check our website or follow our Facebook page

If you’d like to be added to our mailing list and receive invitations to our planting and work parties directly to your inbox, then email isleofmanwoodlandtrust@gmail.com and let us know that you’re happy to help.