Charity the Manx Wildlife Trust has announced a new project that will see them restore a large area of rainforest in the island.

The rainforest at Glen Auldyn will be restored thanks to the Trust’s long-term partnership with insurance company Aviva.

At 1,124 acres – with 750 acres suitable for rainforest habitat – it is the largest plant-able area to enter trust’s rainforest recovery programme so far, and is set to be the biggest nature reserve in the island.

The restoration of this habitat is part of a wider programme of nature-based projects funded by Aviva to remove carbon from the atmosphere and to ‘help nature recover’.

Communities in and around Ramsey in the north of the island will be closely involved in the project, while the restoration will also provide cleaner air and water, and reduced risk from flooding in an area of high flood risk.

A spokesperson from the Manx Wildlife Trust commented: ‘Our partnership with Aviva funds the restoration of temperate rainforests in areas where they used to grow along the damper, western climes of Britain and Ireland.

‘The few remaining fragments of rainforests in the Isle of Man are largely confined to the steep-sided gorges in the national glens, with many in close proximity to Glen Auldyn.

‘Tree seeds will be gathered from the glens and grown in our nursery at Milntown at the base of Glen Auldyn.

‘Volunteers are already involved in the tree nursery which was initially set up to provide trees for our rainforest restoration at Creg y Cowin and Glion Darragh.

‘Local residents are invited to play a central role in the project which will spend an initial two years conducting ecological surveys of the moorland, peatland, glens and existing woodland.’

Following the completion of the restoration, the Manx Wildlife Trust will look to showcase Glen Auldyn as a ‘model’ of how Manx uplands could be best managed and farmed for people and wildlife.

David Bellamy, head of conservation and land at the Manx Wildlife Trust, said: ‘We are thrilled to start this exciting new chapter to restore the Isle of Man’s natural heritage.

‘The recovery of Glen Auldyn’s temperate rainforest will not only create an invaluable habitat for wildlife but will also provide multiple benefits for local communities, including reduced flood risk and greater access to beautiful woodland.

‘This will also be an important contribution to our island’s international obligation to protect and manage 30% of our land for nature by 2030.’

The different tree species at Glen Auldyn will include native Manx oak, downy birch, mountain ash, holly, alder, willows and hazel.

Wet conditions will also support an abundance of mosses, liverworts, lichens, and ferns – many of which grow on the trees or cover boulders and ravines.

Claudine Blamey, chief sustainability officer at Aviva, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see the ongoing restoration of temperate rainforests in the Isle of Man.

‘Aviva is proud to support such a transformative project, which not only enhances the beauty and biodiversity of the island but also provides lasting benefits to local communities.’