The chief executive of the Manx Wildlife Trust will be visiting a Caribbean island later this month to help with an environmental project.

Leigh Morris will visit Montserrat to work with its national trust and Department of Agriculture to strengthen the island’s botanic gardens and horticultural techniques.

He has a background in horticulture and has worked on similar capacity building projects internationally while employed by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

The Adopt a Home for Wildlife, a project run by MNT, was awarded Darwin Project funding in 2021.

It allows individuals, organisations, community groups and businesses to maintain and protect a public or private space for nature.

It’s an opportunity to safeguard and restore pockets of habitats. For example, a tropical dry forest across the island of Montserrat.

The project aims to increase Montserrat’s globally important endemic/native plants and invertebrates, by managing invasive plant species, through community-led site-restoration. This will enhance biodiversity while providing sustainable small-enterprise opportunities.

Mr Morris will be giving training on plant propagation and giving advice on botanic garden development.

He said: ‘Beyond the horticulture, I am looking forward to learning about their wider conservation work including with marine life.’