WildNet - Jim Higham
Manx Wildlife Trust Hairpin Woodland Park
MWT Hairpin Woodland Park is the gateway to the Ramsey Forest, which is a long-term Manx Wildlife Trust project to encourage the naturally expanding woodland cover between Ramsey and Sulby.
Vision Statement:
MWT Hairpin Woodland Park is a place where people can enjoy, experience, explore, and better understand Manx nature, and the important conservation work of Manx Wildlife Trust. A great day out and memorable countryside visit that is an asset to the Island’s visitor offering. MWT Hairpin Woodland Park is where MWT meet new audiences and enable them to foster closer relationships with nature, while helping existing users build a deeper understanding and empathy with the site.
MWT Hairpin Woodland Park is a Biosphere project in partnership with The Isle of Man Government, Rotary Club of Douglas and Milntown. As a nature reserve, HWP is managed to protect the Island’s rarest woodland plants and create a nature-rich environment, with the native woodland ecosystems created, managed and conserved to benefit wildlife. Careful long-term woodland management will create resilience through diversity, and long-term carbon sequestration through an ecosystem approach that promotes older trees, larger volumes of deadwood and soil health. Through skilful nurturing, rare species and an abundance of wildflowers, birds and invertebrates will flourish in idyllic woodland scenery. Novel carbon-farming approaches will be demonstrated to inspire farmers, gardeners and local landowners.
MWT Hairpin Woodland Park officially opened in spring of 2024 and to celebrate 100 years of the Rotary serving the community of the Isle of Man, the Rotary Club of Douglas is raising funds to enable this exciting project to come fully to fruition. The money raised will fund the infrastructure development (education spaces, interpretation, footpaths, etc.) and enable the planting of more than ten thousand trees across the wider site extending southwards to Glen Auldyn.
This is our vision...
This is our vision...
A place to visit where you park at the Hairpin, take an afternoon stroll through the woodland park, have a cup of tea at the Milntown Estate, and meander back.
This is our vision...
A place where you can bring your family, play in the woods and see the best of Manx nature!
This is our vision...
15 acres of field that Rotary Club of Douglas helps turn into new woodland for everybody.
This is a fantastic project that will encompass native woodland, wetlands, meadows and a forest garden to showcase sustainability, wildlife and carbon capture. There will be interactive interpretation, play areas for young people to discover more about the Island’s natural history, and extensive pathways for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy this wonderful place.
To get involved with Hairpin Woodland Park community projects contact MWT's Team Wilder Coordinator, Lucy Chapman - Lucy@mwt.im
MWT have a great guide to help you with fundraising ideas which can be found here.