Teenage mental health champion raises £275 for Manx Wildlife Trust

A teenage mental health champion raised £275 for Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) with a fascinating talk about how his snakes and other ‘weird’ pets have helped him deal with long-term mental health struggles.

Jessie Quirk entertained a full house at Erin Arts Centre in Port Erin with his talk, The Secret Lives of Weird Pets: Snakes, Autism & Me.

Jessie, 17, has autism, ADHD, and severe social anxiety, along with other mental health issues.

He brought along his western hognose and corn snakes, leaf insects, mantises and a giant African millipede to meet the audience, and was joined by Allan Campbell from Zoo2YouIOM, who brought along some of his much larger snakes!

MWT supported the event, with Jessie kindly donating the ticket proceeds, along with asking the audience to donate to the Trust if they wanted to take home one of the cool terrariums that Jessie had made for each table.

Steve Wright from MWT set the scene for the evening

I’m still buzzing! It was an incredible night. I was nervous, as it was something so far out of my comfort zone. But when I was away in hospital last year, I made a promise to myself that I would organise an event to talk about my mental health and how much my snakes and other animals have helped keep me alive.

I’d like to thank everyone who came along to the talk, and for all the kind messages we have received since. Thanks, of course, to Manx Wildlife Trust - we wouldn’t have been able to stage it without its support. Our thanks also to Allan from Zoo2YouIOM, to Gemma from Strand Vets, and to Steve Wright from MWT, who started the night with a talk explaining which reptiles can be found in the wild around the British Isles.

Jessie Quirk

Jessie introduces his first western hognose Chihiro, to the audience

Jessie has been asked to give a talk at the first ever Eastbourne Invertebrate Convention, a one-day family event on the south coast of England. It takes place on Saturday, May 23, and Jessie is busy saving up to cover the travel costs.

It was a real privilege to see Jessie deliver this talk. He brought together knowledge, honesty and real confidence in the subject matter in a way that was both engaging and genuinely inspiring. What stood out was not just the depth of his understanding of these animals, but the way he connected with the audience and handled the evening so naturally. It was a powerful example for young people and parents alike, and we’re incredibly grateful to Jessie for choosing to support MWT through this event.

Dr Carmel Croukamp, Head of Engagement
Manx Wildlife Trust