Isle of Man Post Office celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Manx Wildlife Trust with a set of 10 stamps to be issued 17th February. The charity’s work and dedication has been key to preserving and protecting the Island’s wildlife since it was founded in 1973. Manx Wildlife Trust’s Biosphere Artist in Residence, Clare Payne, has beautifully illustrated ten stamps of which five are valued at 80p and five are valued at £1.14. The stamps highlight the importance of nature conservation and the vast variety of wildlife, flora and fauna that the Isle of Man has to offer.

Leigh Morris, Manx Wildlife Trust CEO said “ I’m absolutely delighted with the set of Manx Wildlife stamps that celebrate 50 years of Manx Wildlife Trust! Our Artist in Residence, Clare Payne, has produced ten wonderful paintings that collectively represent a cross section of our wildlife, ranging from sea slugs, to choughs, from fossils to fungi, and from the dark bush cricket to the little tern, our MWT emblem. Every one of the paintings is a work of art, but collectively, they make a fantastic set which we believe will help inform and inspire more people to engage with our spectacular #ManxNature”

Clare Payne, Biosphere Artist in residence said: "I am delighted to have been offered this incredible opportunity to paint a set of stamps for Isle of Man Post Office and very excited at the prospect of my artwork being posted all around the world! I am extremely grateful to Isle of Man Arts Council for funding my role as Biosphere Artist in Residence; it has been a brilliant experience creating the stamp designs, each depicting a species that holds special significance for Manx Wildlife Trust."

Maxine Cannon, General Manager Isle of Man Stamps & Coins said: “We are thrilled to honour this wonderful charity in their 50th Anniversary year with a stamp issue that has been so beautifully painted by Clare Payne and designed by Kllbr8.” She added: “Manx Wildlife Trust’s relentless efforts in conservation and nature protection is a fantastic and worthy cause. We hope to support them by raising awareness of the issues they tackle and to shine a light on their unbelievable work through the distribution of these stamps worldwide.”  

The set consists of ten individual stamps valued at 80p and £1.14 and is available as Set, Sheet Set, Presentation Pack (limited 1100) and a First Day Cover (limited 1500). The set is also available as Self-Adhesive Booklet and as Self-Adhesive Booklet Pane. To see the full collection visit www.iompost.com/mwt50