MARINE LIFE EDUCATION TO BE ENHANCED ACROSS THE ISLE OF MAN

A grant from Manx Lottery Trust’s Dormant Assets Fund has been distributed to help develop an education programme on the importance of marine life.

Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch (MWDW) will use the £45,000 grant to fund the salary of its Education and Outreach Manager, Jen Adams. This will allow her to further develop and deliver the inspiring programme to primary and secondary school children on the Isle of Man.

Not only will these sessions give school children the knowledge to understand and appreciate marine conservation, it might also encourage them to consider a career in the environmental sector.

Jen will also be on hand to educate the public, as she will be manning the MWDW Visitor Centre to engage with tourists and locals on Manx marine life. Duties include maintaining the sightings database, encouraging reports on sightings, running public outreach events and creating online content.

Jen said: ‘We’re so pleased we can enhance this important project thanks to the generous funding from Manx Lottery Trust and the Scheinberg Family. I have been running a series of sessions to primary school children since 2017. These sessions proved to be extremely popular, and were often re-booked by schools following positive feedback.

‘This funding will allow the expansion of sessions, building a robust programme and covering higher age groups up to GCSE level. Because of the funding, the sessions will also be free of charge, and therefore accessible to all!’

Stephen Turner, Chairman of Manx Lottery Trust, added: ‘The knowledge MWDW share with people, particularly our young people, is vital in ensuring future generations know how important and special Manx marine life is, which is why the Trustees are pleased to support this project.’

To find out more about its Education programme, head to www.mwdweducation.weebly.com/