Creg y Cowin

Creg y Cowin is a 105-acre reserve in the Baldwin Valley, now in the long-term care of Manx Wildlife Trust and a key site within the Manx Rainforest initiative. It is the first reserve where new Temperate rainforest woodland is being established through extensive community involvement and partnership working, supported through the Aviva–Wildlife Trusts Temperate Rainforest Programme. 

Creg y Cowin has been shaped by wide community involvement, with volunteers, families, corporate groups and local organisations all contributing to the planting and early care of the site. A close partnership with the Isle of Man Woodland Trust has been central to the scale and success of this work. To date, more than 500 volunteers have helped plant around 13,500 trees. Approximately 90–95% of planned planting is now complete.

Creg y Cowin: Restoration Plan and Habitat Layout

The reserve is being created as a mosaic of planted woodland, naturally regenerating areas, wetlands and the site’s existing grassland and fen habitats.

• 72.5 acres are being planted with native Manx trees in partnership with the Isle of Man Woodland Trust and volunteers.
• 20 acres are being left to regenerate naturally, increasing genetic and structural diversity.
• Remaining areas include waxcap grassland, fen-meadow, lowland heath, reedbed, ponds and archaeological features such as tholtans and possible sheilings.

As trees mature, Creg y Cowin will develop the structure of a young Manx Rainforest: varied canopy layers, shaded ground flora, deadwood, mosses and a rich mix of open and wooded areas.

Biodiversity Outcomes

Creg y Cowin is expected to support:

• Woodland habitats that link the top of the East Baldwin River with a near continuous ribbon of woodland to the centre of Douglas
• Woodland birds — developing habitat for warblers, finches and, in the long term, potential for wood warbler, pied flycatcher and redstart.
• Wetland species — dragonflies, amphibians and wetland plants in ponds and hollows.
• Grassland fungi and invertebrates — especially within the waxcap meadows and tussocky grasslands.
• Bats, owls and raptors — supported by a mix of woodland edges and open flight corridors.
• Woodland-edge and deadwood species — encouraged by structural diversity and conservation grazing.
• Rare species such as crab apple, wood melick and bay willow will become established across the site.

As the site matures, it will contribute to the wider Manx Rainforest network and enhance landscape connectivity.

Benefits for People and the Island

Restoring woodland at Creg y Cowin delivers wide-ranging benefits:

• Improved water quality in the West Baldwin Reservoir catchment and for the Island’s capital, Douglas.
• Reduced flood risk in central Douglas through better water absorption and soil stability
• Carbon storage and climate resilience
• Habitat for pollinators and wildlife
• Enhanced landscape for recreation and wellbeing
• Cultural value through protection of historic tholtans and farming heritage
• Support for sustainable land use, including future conservation grazing

Long-Term Outlook

Over the next 50 years, Creg y Cowin will transition into a maturing, species-rich Manx Rainforest landscape, shaped by conservation grazing and natural processes. It will form a core part of the Island’s developing network of restored rainforest habitats, alongside Glen Auldyn and Glion Darragh.