Moving on 'bitter sweet' for conservation boss

Moving on from working directly in conservation on the Isle of Man is "bitter sweet", the outgoing boss of local organisation has said.

Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) chief executive Leigh Morris will leave in May to take on the role of Director of International Nature and Climate at the Wildlife Trusts.

Reflecting on his five years in the post he said a key achievement was the expansion of the charity, which had tripled in size of both its team and land holdings.

He said he had "learnt a huge amount" about conservation through working on the island because it was a "wonderful microcosm", but said he hoped he had "given a lot too".

The MWT was also in a "stronger place" in terms of its finances, he said, which had in part been possible through the rise in corporations focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG).

A key project Mr Morris has been instrumental in is the ongoing planting of 30,000 trees at Creg y Cowin as part of a £38m rainforest restoration programme being rolled out by the Wildlife Trusts.

During his time, Mr Morris pushed for MWT to gain a government contract to help deliver an agri-environment scheme, with agriculture taking up about 75% of the land on the island.

He said while the organisation only managed about 0.3% of the land when he joined in January 2020, that had now increased to 1%.

Although there was a "historic battle" between farmers and conservationists, the scheme had enabled the charity to work with farmers to "make things better for nature", he said.

Mr Morris also organised for a survey of the island's wild wallaby population after realising there was "no information" about how many there were on the island.

He said he was "gobsmacked" when the count in the Ballaugh Curraghs showed there were 700 wallabies, with the total on the island now estimated to be between 1,200 and 1,500.

He said he hoped the survey meant there was "enough information" about the animals on the island to allow for a management plan to be developed.

Other highlights during his time in the role included rolling out an education programme across the island's 32 primary schools, the charity's 50th anniversary celebrations, and MWT receiving the King's Award for voluntary service.

He said the team had done a "huge amount over the past five years" and it was a "good moment to step away", Mr Morris said.

Praising all those involved in projects across the island he said: "People are the reason we need conservation and people are the solution to the island being a wonderful showcase of what a biosphere could look like," he added.

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