A section of a major new ecological area in the north of the island is slowly nearing completion, thanks to the efforts of numerous volunteers.

Despite being beset by rough weather and rain, the Eco-Active project at Claughbane plantation, Ramsey, has made remarkable progress since the project was started at the end of last year.

A large number of conifer trees have been felled and the area cleared at the top of the plantation to create a large, winding maze, leading up to a unique two-metre high ’Snail fort’, so called because of it’s design resembling the spiral snail’s shell.

Since early January, families and volunteers have worked on Sunday mornings, planting hundreds of trees and wildflower plants to create the walls and paths of the maze, many of which will be productive, fruit-bearing trees that people will be able to forage through for fresh produce.

Andree Dubbeldam, project officer from the Manx Wildlife Trust and principal designer of the Eco-Active zone, said:

’We are putting the finishing touches to the maze, now. We’re putting handrails along the steepest bits, and were finishing off the planting. We’ve got literally hundreds of trees in, so it’s mostly planted. A school group is going to come in and finish off planting the trees , and then it’s done.

’The trees are mostly holly, rowan and elder. The elder trees are near the front, so we can get people coming up here foraging for elderberries,

’We’ve been planting wildflowers this morning. We have planted wild garlic along the paths here, and the idea is that the wildflowers are planted right alongside the path there and that will act as an avenue, when children run through it. There are clumps of billberries planted here there and everywhere too.

’They are there to create more of a foraging aspect to the area. There will be patches of hazel trees too, and come autumn hopefully we will have families coming in and stripping the trees of their nuts.

’After that, its done, and we’re just waiting for the trees to grow. That should take about three years to get them to a reasonable height, and it looks like a solid maze.’

Also in the planning for the site is to create a nature trail across the area of Claughbane, the Crossags Coppice and Glion Ny Crawe, and a series of play features along the walk, including a stump scramble, a log obstacle course and an area called ’Den city’, where children will be free to make their own forest hideaways.

It is hoped to have the whole project completed by 2019.