Glen Dhoo is situated in a remote valley approached by a Greenway Road at the head of Ballaugh Glen and was home to a small farming community until the end of the 19th century. The nature reserve supports a range of valuable habitats for species such as heath and common spotted-orchid, hen harriers, peregrines, stonechats and linnets. MWT has been working hard at this site to try and reduce the amount of bracken and gorse and recreate open grassland.
This was the team’s seventh task on the site since 2015. Over the last five years, Nedbank Private Wealth has very generously covered the costs of new gates and fencing materials plus contractors undertaking fencing and topping works. Staff have cleared gorse and planted shrubs on a number of occasions but also assisted with some of the fencing, which enabled three separate grazing blocks to be established, a crucial part of MWT’s long term management plan for the site.
MWT Reserves Officer, Tricia Sayle, said: “I am always very impressed with how Nedbank Private Wealth staff really get stuck into a job, no matter how physically demanding (or damp the conditions). Several staff are now regulars on these tasks, and it is great that they can see how the site develops as a result of their labours.”
Staff have not only undertaken new projects but are now involved with the regular upkeep, which is vital in maintaining what has been achieved. On Saturday, staff cleared competing vegetation from around the shrubs planted last year and cleared along fencelines. Many of the shrubs originated on the site, having been found during gorse clearance work, potted up, grown on and then brought back.
MWT are grateful to Nedbank Private Wealth for its support and is looking forward to working with the bank on similar projects in the future. Thanks are also extended to regular MWT volunteer Alison Skyner who helped to supervise and encourage the staff.
For more information about the work of MWT or to find out about its corporate membership schemes, which help MWT to further its aim of protecting Manx wildlife for the future, please visit the charity’s website www.mwt.im
