A new wildlife haven has been planted at an Isle of Man technology park.
The 100m hedge has been created along the perimeter at the Mountain View Innovation Centre (MVIC) just outside Ramsey.
The hedge, the brainchild of the AFD group, a former UNESCO Biosphere Award Winner which has its headquarters at the MVIC, features 300 individual plants, combining a mixture of Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Guelder Rose, Bird Cherry and Dog Rose.
And according to green fingered project bosses, the plants have all been chosen for their value to birds, insects and other small animals, including the colonies of honeybees that the group brought to the site in conjunction with the Northern Beekepers association back in 2018.
MVIC Head Gardener Ben Richards said the hedging will provide a welcome boost to the island’s insect population.
He said: ‘When established, this hedge will offer a thriving biodiversity attracting a wide variety of insects but importantly offering an especially rich habitat for pollinators.
‘As we know, bees, butterflies, beetles, moths and flies are essential for crop production without which our food security would be seriously threatened as well as risking many plant species falling into decline or even potentially extinction - which in turn would have a devastating knock-on effect on all that depend on them.’
According to the AFD group, the bird friendly hedge has already been given the seal of approval by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
MVIC Properties team member Andy Webb, who helped plant the hedge, said: ‘It won’t only be the insects that benefit, the dense foliage will also provide the perfect cover and sanctuary for nesting birds and as it will produce an abundance of berries, seeds and sloes it will prove to be a rich food source and great habitat for small birds to thrive.’