Trust's flower bed scheme to support pollinators

Schools and community groups on the Isle of Man have been given the tools to create flower strips to support pollinating insects as part of a drive by a conservation group.

The Make Space for Nature scheme by the Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) encourages residents to transform outdoor spaces and make them "more wildlife-friendly".

Sewn in five locations across the island, the flower beds have used a blend of seeds to ensure a "maximum benefit to wildlife", the trust said.

The groups who signed up were given advice on how to plant, water and weed the areas, as well as tips on monitoring any wildlife that visits them.

Two schools, a community garden in St Johns, a nursing home in Ramsey and the St John Ambulance Isle of Man headquarters in Douglas have taken part in the scheme.

MWT chief executive Graham Makepeace-Warne said the project blended "education and action".

The result would be to "deliver a wonderful mix of horticulture, nature conservation and enhanced places for people to enjoy", he said.

The advice also included "simple things to start or stop doing that could make a big difference", he continued.

MWT volunteers have also harvested seeds and cultivated plants from native Manx wildflowers to give out to community projects across the island.

The trust said the seeds once sown were "easy to care for" and could be grown in a "nature-friendly way" without using peat and pesticides.

Mr Makepeace-Warne said the project had also been an "excellent opportunity" to continue to develop a Manx wildflower mix, which the team was regularly asked for.

The trust had a "long-held ambition to see an Isle of Man recommended seed mix" that was "suited to Manx soil and doesn't compete with our naturally occurring native wildflowers", he added.

The broader Make Space for Nature project has also been designed to show residents how to support pollinators at all stages of their life cycle in their own gardens or outdoor spaces.

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