Two teams of volunteers from HSBC Bank plc in Douglas recently braved some rather wet November weather to help the Manx Wildlife Trust plant over 300 new trees at its nature reserve at Glen Dhoo in Ballaugh. Glen Dhoo is situated in a remote valley approached by a Greenway Road at the head of Ballaugh Glen and was home to a small farming community until the end of the 19th century. The nature reserve supports a range of valuable habitats for species such as heath and common spotted orchid, hen harriers, ravens, stonechats and linnets. To further increase the natural habitat diversity, the Manx Wildlife Trust’s Reserves Officer, Tricia Sayle, was keen to create an additional area of woodland comprising rose, hawthorn and rowan, and is very grateful to HSBC for making this happen. As well as providing two teams of enthusiastic volunteers for the project, the Bank also generously funded the cost of the trees and associated planting materials. Kevin Cartledge, Senior Manager HSBC, said, “Earlier this year, we became Gold Corporate Members of the Manx Wildlife Trust. However, as well as supporting the local nature conservation charity financially, we also wanted to work with them on a practical project that our staff could get involved with. The tree planting project at Glen Dhoo gave us the opportunity to do just that and everyone who went along to help had a great time.” The Manx Wildlife Trust would like to thank HSBC for their support and is looking forward to working with the Bank on similar projects in the future. For more information about the work of the Manx Wildlife Trust or to find out about its popular Corporate membership schemes, which allow the Trust to further its aim of protecting Manx wildlife for the future, please visit the charity’s website www.manxwt.org.uk. Ends