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Community effort completes Manx Rainforest tree planting at MWT Creg y Cowin Nature Reserve

Tree planting at MWT Creg y Cowin in the East Baldwin valley was completed on Sunday, marking a major milestone for nature recovery on the Isle of Man and the culmination of a three-year community effort. 

The final trees were planted by Maryan Jel Garmino and Faith Caisip, bringing to a close a project that has seen thousands of native saplings planted across a continuous 107-acre site. Individuals, community groups and organisations have come together regularly over three years, contributing their time and energy to create this new woodland. 

MWT Creg y Cowin Reserve, established in 2023 by Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT), is part of MWT’s Manx Rainforest programme, restoring one of the Island’s most important and rare habitats. Manx Rainforest is temperate rainforest once widespread on the Isle of Man but now reduced to a small fraction of its original extent. 

The work forms part of The Wildlife Trusts’ Temperate Rainforest Restoration Programme, supported by a long-term partnership with Aviva, helping to restore rainforest habitat across Britain and Ireland while delivering benefits for climate, nature and communities.  

The planting has been completed more than two years ahead of schedule, thanks to the leadership and commitment of the Isle of Man Woodland Trust, whose work with volunteers and community partners has driven the project forward. 

Native species planted at the site include oak, downy birch, alder, rowan, hawthorn, willows, juniper and hazel, reflecting the woodland that would naturally develop in these conditions and supporting the long-term re-establishment of Manx Rainforest habitat. 

As the woodland establishes, the site will transition into a low-intensity grazing system, where livestock will play a natural role in shaping the habitat. This reflects how Manx Rainforest would have developed historically, with grazing animals helping to maintain a varied woodland structure. The land will continue to support food production, but in a different way - combining sustainable grazing with nature recovery, while improving soil health, water quality and resilience across the wider landscape. 

The land is now secured in perpetuity as an MWT nature reserve, ensuring long-term protection and public access across the whole reserve. A public footpath already crosses the reserve, and as the woodland develops it will become an increasingly special place for the community to experience and enjoy. 

IOMWT; lFaith Caisip and Maryan Jel Garmino, both members of Members Church of God International (MCGI), planting the final tree

Isle of Man Woodland Trust

We needed all hands on deck to bring this project to completion, and that is exactly what happened. Over three years, hundreds of people have contributed to planting more than 20,000 trees across this site. Special credit goes to our 25 regular volunteers who have gone above and beyond: teaching newcomers how to plant trees, quality control and many mundane things such as shifting tools and materials. In winter months with Manx weather on an exposed hillside those regulars were the absolute backbone of the achievement. Other volunteers worked behind the curtains helping with administration and fundraising. It has been a real community achievement, and we are proud to have been part of it.
Falk Horning
Chair of the Isle of Man Woodland Trust
This is a significant milestone for Manx Rainforest restoration. What stands out most is the collective effort behind it - people from across the Island coming together, time and again, to make this happen.

As this woodland develops, it will support wildlife, improve drinking water quality and reduce flood risk down-river in Douglas, while remaining a large and wild place that people can access and enjoy. Over time, we expect to see the nesting of key rainforest species such as the pied flycatcher and wood warbler. Securing this site as a nature reserve ensures those benefits are protected for the long term.
David Bellamy, Head of Conservation and Land
Manx Wildlife Trust

Temperate rainforest is one of the rarest habitats in Britain and Ireland, with less than one percent of its original extent remaining. Restoring Manx Rainforest helps support biodiversity, store carbon, improve water quality and reduce flood risk, while creating accessible spaces for people to connect with nature.  

MWT Creg y Cowin Reserve is part of a growing network of Manx Rainforest sites managed by MWT, alongside nearby MWT Glion Darragh Nature Reserve and MWT Glen Auldyn Nature Reserve, forming one of the most significant rainforest restoration efforts in Britain and Ireland. 

With planting now complete, the site moves into its next phase, where natural processes, careful management and continued community involvement will shape the woodland as it develops. Tree guards will start to be removed in around five years’ time, and grazing systems introduced. 

 

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