Staff from University College Isle of Man’s (UCM) Environment & Sustainability Faculty celebrated the contribution pre-apprenticeship students made to the new community wildlife garden at Ballanard Court Sheltered Housing complex at an event at City Hall.
14 bird boxes and bat boxes were made by UCM’s pre-apprenticeship students and donated for the new community garden. The boxes provide safe environments for the pollinators, particularly for nesting females.
UCM Lecturers, Mike Caine, Andy Patterson and Barrijon Kirkham were invited to attend an event to celebrate the successful completion of the project and thank all of the organisation involved in bringing it to fruition.
Sam Warren, Head of Faculty for Environment & Sustainability at UCM said: ‘It was a real honour for our staff to be invited to this event. At UCM we encourage our students to get involved in the community, which is why we’re delighted to be involved with projects like this, especially where it benefits the environment.
‘I’m sure the residents of Ballanard Court will get much enjoyment from the community garden and enjoy seeing the birds and bats using the boxes.’
The Worshipful the Mayor of Douglas added: ‘We’re really grateful to UCM and the students who were involved in this project; the bird and bat boxes have made a great addition to the community garden.
‘Not only did we want to create a space for the residents of the complex to enjoy with their friends and family, but we also wanted to attract pollinators including butterflies, birds and bats to support the environment. Thank you to Manx Wildlife Trust for helping us with planning the garden.’
The project was led by Douglas City Council, with the focus on bringing together organisations to assist in projects to regenerate community spaces. Representatives from other organisations which contributed to the project including Tower Insurance, NK Construction, Willaston Primary School, Manx Wildlife Trust and Crossroads were also in attendance at the event.