A new micro wood has been planted in Douglas.

Hartford Homes planted the forest near its Farmhill Grange development, consisting of 5,240 trees.

Earlier this year, the developer identified an area of under-used land with potential for ecological improvement, situated between an existing road and stream.

Permission was granted by Douglas Borough Council to transform the area into an ‘urban micro wood’, which are densely planted areas which feature a wide variety of tree and plant life.

These small plantations grow rapidly, helping to capture carbon during growth and creating increasingly biodiverse habitats for wildlife to thrive in urban environments.

Working closely with charity Manx Wildlife Trust, which has provided recommendations on viable tree species and best planting practices, the company has completed the planting of over 5,000 trees, each with bamboo matting to protect the trees during their first years of growth.

George Li, architect at Hartford Homes, has been one of the driving forces behind the developer’s urban micro wood and forest projects.

He said: ‘Following on from our micro forest at Royal Park in Ramsey, the micro wood close to Farmhill Grange illustrates a possible model that paves the way for the future better use of leftover urban spaces.

‘There are many ecological benefits of this type of project, from assisting with carbon sequestration to providing much-needed habitats and biodiversity net gains.

‘But it will also help to reduce the maintenance burden of Douglas Borough Council and ratepayers, who currently have to foot the bill for the upkeep of low ecological value amenity grass.

‘The thriving micro wood will be the result of a close working partnership between Douglas Borough Council, Manx Wildlife Trust, and Hartford Homes.

‘It is a demonstration of what can be achieved when both private and public sectors work together to accelerate the mitigation of climate change.’

Building on the company’s Biosphere Isle of Man Partner status, achieved in 2022, Hartford Homes is committed to helping the island achieve net zero, including biodiversity net gains across all future developments.