About the reserve

Mullen-e-Cloie (or Mwyllin-y-Cloie) was once species-poor agricultural land at the site of a corn mill on the Foxdale River. The two fields have been managed since 2008 to increase their wildflower diversity. In 2022 an ambitious agroforestry project was started on the reserve to both boost biodiversity, carbon sequestration and provide food.  This is MWT’s first agroforestry initiative and has been supported by Manx Telecom. The project will allow MWT to better advise and support farmers and landowners looking to initiate agroforestry on their land.

Management: Phase one of the project included planting over 1000 native trees including Hazel, Crab Apple, Native Oak, Dog Rose and Birches in the main grazing field and in fenced-off areas. This will not only benefit the environment and local wildlife but the grazing animals themselves. Pollarding the hazels will provide additional feed for grazing animals, introducing healthy natural gut bacteria whilst putting nutrients back into the soil.