September has been filled to the brim with exciting opportunities for Rosie’s Interns. After the official launch of the internship programme at Thie Vunn, the first few weeks were spent getting familiar with MWT’s projects and staff. This has involved exciting days in the field, fascinating seminars from staff, attending events, and a whole range of opportunities. In the first of their monthly blogs, the interns walk us through this past month and the experiences that have stood out for them.

Mia Woodcock – Terrestrial Intern

September marked the beginning of my time as a Terrestrial Intern at Manx Wildlife Trust, and what a start it has been! My first two weeks were spent on the Calf of Man carrying out seal surveys, an incredible opportunity and a real privilege. Alongside the survey work, I helped the wardens ring Manx shearwaters, offering a fascinating close-up glimpse of one of the Island’s most remarkable seabirds. The bumpy crossing was well worth it, although bad weather extended my stay when conditions prevented me from leaving on the date planned. Island fieldwork certainly keeps you adaptable!

Since returning, the variety has continued. I have worked at the tree nursery, joined Mucker’s sessions and ventured into the Ballaugh Curraghs in search of peat reaching nine metres deep. These experiences have shown me the breadth of terrestrial conservation, from hands-on habitat work to investigating the landscapes beneath our feet. I have also begun helping to establish new ventures and projects for the Trust, giving me an exciting insight into how ideas develop into practical action for wildlife. It has been a busy, memorable month, and I am looking forward to whatever comes next.

Charlie Clarke – Terrestrial Intern

As to be expected, the first month of my Terrestrial Ecology and Conservation Internship with MWT has been very hectic. I spent most of September getting acquainted to the beautiful, varying habitats and stunning nature reserves, found here on the Isle of Man. I have also had the pleasure to meet the many inspiring and passionate people (experts, volunteers, landowners and everything in-between) that make these physical places tick, as well as the flora and fauna, that call these places home.

As a young ecologist, I am greatly passionate about conserving, restoring and engaging with our natural world. As part of my internship, I aim to pursue opportunities related to ecosystem restoration (mainly woodland and wetlands), while developing hands-on land-management skills, furthering my understanding of small mammal ecology, and gaining more experience as an educator. With all of this in mind, it is safe to say that this internship is providing me exactly the opportunities I am searching for. Here are a few of my highlights from the month of September;

Upon visiting Glion Darragh (‘Glen of the Oaks’) Nature Reserve, which is currently, predominantly a monoculture conifer plantation, I was struck by the huge potential of this site and was delighted to get stuck-in physically. MWT aims to restore this woodland back to its natural state, a temperate rainforest. Once restored, Glion Darragh would be a species-rich haven for biodiversity and nature-lovers alike. For this restoration to occur, the removal of tree/shrub species that may out-compete the recently planted native oaks is of the upmost importance!

Sitka Spruce is one such species and dominates the woodland of Glion Darragh. These Sitka Spruce trees were planted due to their commercial value, as an important and versatile timber species. By actively managing this site, we can improve the growing conditions for the native oaks and improve their chances of survival. If more oaks survive, and more, and more, then Glion Darragh may once again become a ‘Glen of the Oaks’.

Seeing this work in practice, and being able to play a part in it, brings me hope. You see, I am from County Derry, in the North of Ireland. ‘Derry’ is an anglicised version of the Irish word, ‘Doire’, which translates to, ‘Oak wood’. Doire and Glion Darragh are similar in this way, both named after oaks, but now dominated by monoculture plantations of non-native, species-poor woodlands. Ireland, like the Isle of Man, was once a temperate rainforest, but over the centuries our native woodland has been decimated. I have often grieved the loss of Irelands native woodland, and Derry’s native oaks. But Glion Darragh, and the MWT woodland team have shown me that if we can save the temperate rainforests of the Isle of Man, then we can do the same in Ireland.

This month I also had the opportunity to team up with Manx Peat and Ecology Vannin to undertake peat depth sampling in the Ballagh Curragh. Here we found peat depths of nearly 5 meters, which is very impressive, but still not the coolest thing about this place. ‘Curragh’ originally referred to open wetlands, however as the Ballaugh Curragh area has dried up and transitioned into willow carr and scrub habitat, the etymology of the word Curragh has evolved to reflect this physical change in the land, which I find so fascinating! I have worked in peatlands for years, but I have never seen terrain like this before. This area feels like an ancient, mystical woodland that you see in fantasy films – much like Fangorn Forest. Willow trees grow in bizarre growth forms; woodland mushrooms populate the forest floor and dead tree trunks, while patches of marsh and swamp, lay hidden until you hear the splashing sounds of a wallaby bounding through the woodland! The fact that there are wallabies on the loose in a peatland on the Isle of Man is a crazy sentence. We have now completed the peat surveys in the area for Manx Heritage Trust, but I hope to get back out there soon to aid with further surveys!

Although I am mainly a terrestrial ecologist, I spent a day on the boat with Lara Howe, MWT’s Marine Officer, where we carried out BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Visual) Survey, above the Western Irish Sea Mud Belt. Incredibly, we saw 4 pods of dolphins (around 100 individuals total), 3 Minke Whales, a very pregnant Seal and a Basking Shark. There was a period of my life where I dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, and to experience a day of sampling like this, felt like a truly special moment and a gift for a younger version of myself. However now, I am much more interested in the terrestrial side of things – so I hope to spend most of my time on land while I am here, but wow, what an experience!

Alongside these highlights, I have completed a Wetland Bird Survey, taken eDNA samples from rivers, started preparation for a small mammal research project, helped at Milntown Tree Nursery, built many fences, cleared even more bracken and much more! It’s a busy life being an intern, and that is just how I like it!

Emily Aston – Engagement Intern

This month has been an incredible introduction into the world of MWT. I have spent time with staff members across both the conservation and engagement team and seen how valuable their roles are. As an Engagement Intern, the possibilities are varied and finding the area I enjoy most is something I hope to identify during my 8 months here so gaining insights into the internal operations of the Engagement Team has been incredibly valuable. 

The first event I attended as part of MWT was ‘Nature…who cares?’; an event dedicated to giving young voters a space to ask candidates in the local elections about their nature-based policies. Aiding Marnie Kelly, our Communications Officer, in speaking to the potential MHKs (Member of the House of Keys) and gaining their participation in creating short form video content for social media was an extremely interesting kickstart to the internship. Creating engaging social media posts has been an enjoyable creative outlet for me during this month. 

Since then, I have accompanied Tiphaine, our Education Officer, on her eDNA project with Queen Elizabeth II students; taught about the importance of pollinators on our food in the Kids Tent at Big Manx Feast; attended a corporate workday; completed Remarkable Partnership’s ‘Introduction to Corporate Partnerships’ course; and am helping to facilitate new gift shop options. 

Developing my understanding of conservation projects has also been extremely beneficial. Spending time at and gaining an understanding of Milntown Tree Nursery, learning how to map peatlands in the Ballaugh Curragh with my fellow interns, and being privy to seminars from MWT’s staff about their areas of expertise are a few highlights. More recently, I spent a day on the Western Irish Sea Mud Belt with Lara Howe, our Marine Officer, carrying out BRUV Surveys. Not only was this incredibly interesting from a conservation standpoint, but we were also lucky enough to sea three Minke Whales, a Basking Shark, and close to 100 dolphins. It is fair to say this month has been an incredible welcome to the Isle of Man, from both MWT’s community and nature. 

Isabel Critchon- Communications Intern

This first month of the official internship program has been a whirlwind, from meeting new and exciting people to learning more and more about the ecology and conservation of the Isle of Man. Even though I have lived here all my life, I am continuing to explore new places such as the Ballaugh Curraghs, and MWT’s special nature reserves through Peatland Surveys and Midweek Muckers.

A huge aspect for me has been being a part of conservation education with local schools and at events. At the Big Manx Feast, we talked to young people about the importance of our local pollinators and their impact on the food chain, and at Glen Auldyn River we supervised a field trip with QE2 Biology A-Level students taking eDNA samples.

Some major highlights have been visiting Governor’s House to see about fitting a Barn owl box in their beautiful open gardens. Completing peatland mapping of the Ballaugh Curraghs Manx National Heritage area has been a huge achievement, it was an opportunity of a lifetime to explore the depths of the Curraghs, wading through mud and knee-deep bog while spotting unique and rare species of invertebrates, fungi, and lichen. 

Not a moment has been wasted learning something new and exploring new avenues in nature conservation and engagement on the island. I can’t wait to see what we do next.