Stream at Glion Darragh by Adam Morgan and Ciara Hardisty, Biosphere Photographers in Residence
Manx Rainforest
Temperate rainforest once covered vast areas of the British Isles. Today it is estimated that only 1% remains. These forests grow in cool, wet, humid places with low temperature variation, and they support an abundance of species.
Temperate rainforest is often affectionately described as woodland where there is ‘green on green on green’, due to the hundreds of species of plants and lichens which cover every available surface. Tree varieties can include oak, hazel, holly, alder, rowan, birch, and willow, and their trunks serve as the ideal surface for the growth of numerous mosses, lichens, fungi, ferns, and liverworts. Areas of rainforest often feature open glades or river gorges too. Conditions for growth require a very particular oceanic climate: wet, humid, and without extremes of temperature. Many of the moisture-loving plants mentioned above also depend on the air being relatively free from pollution.
Only tiny fragments of Manx Rainforest survive today, and our collective memory of these landscapes has faded. Sea-fog, cloud and high rainfall still create the perfect environment for mosses, lichens, ferns, liverworts and ancient woodland species. Remnants can be found in a small number of places on the Isle of Man.
Read more about temperate rainforest restoration across the British Isles here.
Manx Wildlife Trust is re-establishing temperate rainforest ecosystems on the Isle of Man at a scale large enough for nature to flourish and become resilient again, allowing people to get to know these precious ecosystems and to benefit from them.
Our Vision: Large-Scale Nature Recovery
The Manx Rainforest Initiative is Manx Wildlife Trust’s landscape-scale initiative to restore temperate rainforest habitat across the Isle of Man.
Spanning several large reserves, including MWT Glen Auldyn, MWT Glion Darragh, MWT Creg y Cowin and Hairpin Woodland Park, the project combines native tree planting, natural regeneration, sustainable grazing and long-term habitat management to bring back one of the world’s rarest ecosystems.
Supported through a long-term partnership with Aviva and The Wildlife Trusts as part of the Temperate Rainforest Restoration Programme, the Manx Rainforest Project strengthens biodiversity, improves climate resilience and will provide net boosts to wildlife and farming island-wide. Volunteers, donors and partners all play a vital role in helping MWT restore native woodland and rebuild a thriving rainforest landscape for future generations.
Of all the habitat types in the British Isles, temperate rainforest is exceptionally high in biodiversity, supporting species abundance with spill-over effects that benefit farming and food security, help regulate water quality and flooding, among a number of wider benefits. MWT's temperate rainforest reserves are exceptionally beautiful, peaceful places, managed for all to enjoy as they develop into Manx rainforest.
Our long-term goals:
- Restore landscapes of high-diversity woodland–pasture mosaics
- Increase connectivity between Manx habitats
- Support rare & returning species
- Enrich species abundance and create ecosystem benefits across the Island
- Build climate resilience at landscape scale
- Improve soil & water retention and reduce flood risk
Our Partners
Manx Rainforest restoration is possible thanks to the hard work and partnership of many individuals, communities, organisations and businesses. In particular, thanks to our long-term project partners:
Partner Logos: Isle of Man Woodland trust, Aviva, The Wildlife Trusts, The Milntown Estate and Gardens
Manx Rainforest restoration in our reserves
Manx Rainforest restoration is underway across several MWT reserves — many newly acquired through the collective efforts of partners, supporters and communities.
Glen Auldyn © Graham Makepeace-Warne
MWT Glen Auldyn Reserve
The Island's largest nature reserve, with 750 acres set to be restored to Manx Rainforest.
(c) Adam Morgan and Ciara Hardisty, Biosphere Photographers in Residence
MWT Glion Darragh Reserve
Glion Darragh, “Glen of the Oaks” in Manx, stretches across an entire hidden valley at the headwaters of the River Glass.
Saskia Beresford
MWT Creg y Cowin Reserve
Native planting, natural regeneration and protection of existing heath, fen and wetland habitats will create a diverse woodland landscape.
Graham Makepeace-Warne
MWT Hairpin Woodland Park
Home to some of the Island’s rarest woodland plants, where people can enjoy, experience, explore, and better understand Manx nature.
The MWT Tree Nursery at Milntown Estate and Gardens
In partnership with The Milntown Estate and Gardens, MWT’s native tree nursery grows island-adapted seedlings from locally collected seed. These trees — birch, oak, willow, hazel, alder and more — form the backbone of our Manx Rainforest restoration initiatives.
