Manx Wildlife Trust 50th Anniversary

Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) was founded in 1973 and is the Isle of Man’s leading nature conservation charity. Its members, staff and volunteers support MWT to protect Manx wildlife for the future by; driving the development of a nature recovery network across the IOM to create more places for wildlife, enabling nature to improve the wider IOM environment for all, and connecting people in the IOM strongly to nature and inspiring them to act eco-consciously for wildlife.

It all began in 1970, when Felicity Cain and Elizabeth Hamm wrote a rousing letter to the Isle of Man Examiner, calling on Island residents to do something in recognition of European Conservation Year. A meeting led to the formation of the Manx Nature Conservation Trust in March 1973. The first nature reserves were acquired a short time later: Barnell Reservoir in 1974 and Cooildarry in 1976.

Manx Wildlife Trust is a charity which means every penny raised is spent on delivering charitable work - nature conservation in the Isle of Man. 

Leigh Morris, Manx Wildlife Trust CEO said “I’m absolutely delighted with the set of Manx Wildlife stamps that celebrate 50 years of Manx Wildlife Trust! Our Artist in Residence, Clare Payne, has produced ten wonderful paintings that collectively represent a cross section of our wildlife, ranging from sea slugs, to choughs, from fossils to fungi, and from the dark bush cricket to the little tern, our MWT emblem. Every one of the paintings is a work of art, but collectively, they make a fantastic set which we believe will help inform and inspire more people to engage with our spectacular #ManxNature”

Clare Payne, Biosphere Artist in residence said: "I am delighted to have been offered this incredible opportunity to paint a set of stamps for Isle of Man Post Office and very excited at the prospect of my artwork being posted all around the world! I am extremely grateful to Isle of Man Arts Council for funding my role as Biosphere Artist in Residence; it has been a brilliant experience creating the stamp designs, each depicting a species that holds special significance for Manx Wildlife Trust."