Manx Wildlife Trust welcomed David Oakes, actor, podcaster and environmentalist to the shores of the Isle of Man on Sunday 5th June. As an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts, David’s visit highlighted the important work of Manx Wildlife Trust in monitoring seals, puffins and Manx shearwaters while pioneering the development of protected marine nature reserves and a wildlife tracking system in the Irish Sea.
Manx Wildlife Trust welcomes David Oakes to the Isle of Man
Actor and environmentalist visits reserves and marine conservation projects
Leigh Morris, chief executive of Manx Wildlife Trust, invited David Oakes to the Calf Sound overlooking the Calf of Man for some bird watching, where Manx sheerwaters and puffins have returned in recent years. He also visited Derbyhaven Bay with its newly discovered seagrass beds, the new Onchan Wetlands Community Wildlife Project, and Manx Wildlife Trust’s flagship reserve, Close Sartfield, where David encountered 1,000s of orchids and feral wallabies.
While David Oakes is best known for his roles in historical fantasy and period dramas, The Pillars of the Earth, The Borgias and most recently Vikings Valhalla, he is also an environmentalist and hosts a Natural History podcast, ‘Trees A Crowd’. On his way back from filming in Ireland, the Isle of Man was a great location for him to record a new marine conservation podcast and video with Leigh Morris, which will be shared for the Wildlife Trusts Wild LIVE series in July.
“The Isle of Man marine environment in the middle of the Irish Sea is hugely important to the conservation of birds and the marine wildlife of the British Isles. So, we were delighted to spend a day with David Oakes showing him some of the wonders of Manx nature, from puffins to new seagrass beds, which are important for storing carbon. We were greatly impressed with David’s knowledge and passion for nature and the Wildlife Trusts. We look forward to welcoming him back again and hopefully taking him out on a dive.”Manx Wildlife Trust CEO
The Irish Sea is an important ecosystem within the British Isles. Manx Wildlife Trust have carried out small shark tagging, public engagement, seal monitoring. Manx Wildlife Trust was among the first organisations in British Isles to develop protected marine nature reserves, working with the Isle of Man Government to support the development and management of the Island’s ten Marine Nature Reserves (MNRs).
The Isle of Man is an important location for seabirds, and the Calf of Man, a small island just to the south of the main Isle of Man is a jewel of Manx nature. MWT wardens run the Bird Observatory on the Calf for Manx National Heritage and have supplied their annual data to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) since the 1950s. There are now more than 1,000 pairs of shearwaters nesting and last year, for the first time in about 30 years, puffins returned to the Calf carrying out nesting activity.
“I’ve been looking for an excuse to visit the beautiful Isle of Man, to see first-hand some of the very special and unique wildlife it possesses, for years. It was truly inspirational to hear what Leigh and Manx Wildlife Trust are doing to create spaces for nature - both in and around the Island. We need nature now more than ever, but MWT understands that this does not mean that it cannot still be enjoyed by the Island’s communities. And to visit during the TT fortnight, and to circumnavigate the Mountain Course on Mad Sunday at an average speed of 23.7mph in MWT’s electric van, was an especially satisfying bonus!”Actor, podcaster and environmentalist