As we reach the turn of the year, I’ve now almost completed my first six months as CEO of Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT), a period that has been both energising and humbling. Stepping into this role after seven years with MWT has given me a unique perspective: a sense of continuity, but also a fresh appreciation of just how much talent, ambition and possibility exist across this organisation and the wider conservation community.

Building a strong team

One of my earliest priorities was strengthening our leadership capacity, and I’m delighted that Carmel Croukamp has joined us as Head of Engagement, taking on the role I previously held. Her passion for connecting people with nature, coupled with her background in conservation community engagement, is already shining through. With Carmel in post, our Engagement Team is well placed to grow its impact: from education to events, volunteer support to public campaigning.

We've welcomed Corey Higham into our team of Woodland Rangers and he is helping to deliver our Manx Rainforest restoration work. Our conservation team has grown further still with Chloe Hurst joining the team as Land & Nature Advisor. The role involves Chloe helping land owners with guidance and advice on managing land for nature. Many will remember Chloe from her time as a Calf Warden and if you haven't seen her aWildGuide YouTube Channel, it's well worth subscribing to.

Earlier in December we welcomed our first MWT baby, when our Education Officer, Rachel Martin, gave birth to the adorable Nora (definitely a future conservationist). We wish Rachel well on her maternity leave and we are thrilled to welcome Tiphaine Claveau who will be filling the Education Officer role in the mean time. Coincidentally Tiph worked on the comms for the Climate Centre in Paris, see 'Seeing is Believing' below to find out more about it. I'm hoping this will be the beginning of a long-term relationship with MWT for Tiph.

I'm also looking forward to welcoming Stefan Renton back to the Island in the New Year as our Nature Finance Officer, a new role for MWT. His appointment marks a step-change in our ability to shape and influence how investment flows into nature in the Island. Stefan is already working (remotely for now) with the Sustainable Finance Initiative Working Group, feeding into the Nature Finance White Paper, a piece of work that has the potential to influence policy and unlock new opportunities for habitat restoration, regenerative land management, nature-based solutions, and help the Island's economy.

Collaboration across islands and nations

A real highlight of these first months was hosting the Inter-Island Environment Meeting, which brought together conservation leaders from across the Crown Dependencies and UK Overseas Territories. The sense of shared purpose was powerful. Islands face similar challenges, from climate impacts to invasive species, but we also share agility, strong community identity and the potential to demonstrate what effective nature recovery looks like on a manageable scale. This meeting reaffirmed my belief that the Isle of Man can lead by example. My predecessor, Leigh Morris, now Director – International for The Wildlife Trusts Federation wrote an excellent blog about the event which you can read here.

Another milestone was travelling to Paris with fellow CEOs and Chairs from across The Wildlife Trusts for the “Seeing is Believing” knowledge exchange trip. Experiencing how other countries are creating urban biodiversity, green infrastructure and community-led nature initiatives was genuinely inspiring. It reinforced the value of community engagement and allowed us to bring back ideas that can help shape our own ambitions here at home. Leigh Morris also wrote an very good blog about the trip including links to all the projects so it's well worth a look.

Recognition

Perhaps the proudest moment so far was seeing MWT and Manx National Heritage (MNH) jointly win the Media Isle of Man Award for Excellence for the Environmental or Sustainable Initiative of the Year. This recognition for the seabird recovery programme on the Calf of Man, made possible through the control of invasive non-native 'longtails', is a testament to years of hard work, science-led decision making, and an unwavering commitment to restoring one of the Island’s most precious wildlife havens. It was a real team effort, and one that shows what can be achieved through partnership. It's truly wonderful to see the numbers of Manx Shearwater rising so rapidly on the Calf and I really hope we start to see the same results with Puffins soon. My thanks to all involved: the team at MNH, the wardens, volunteers and everyone who has supported the important work there.

Looking ahead

These six months have been full of momentum, but the road ahead is even more exciting. We face major challenges from climate change and biodiversity loss to pressures on land and sea, but we also have a community that cares deeply about its natural heritage and a growing network of partners ready to act. Our job is to harness that energy, sharpen our strategic focus, and deliver the long-term change nature needs.

To everyone who has supported MWT, our amazing staff team, volunteers, members, partners — Thank You! We’ve achieved a lot already, and there’s so much more to come. 

Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie Noa
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope 2026 is your wildest year yet.