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Nature of BritainYou are in: Isle of Man > Nature of Britain > Wildflower Mann  Ecologist Andree Dubbeldam at Knockaloe Wildflower MannIf you have ever wondered how the Isle of Man retains its beauty year after year then you may be interested to meet Andree Dubbeldam, a ecologist who has made it his mission to conserve native wild flowers in the Isle of Man. Whenever there’s a new road improvement scheme or river engineering project in the Isle of Man, Andree Dubbeldam is never far away.  Common Birdsfoot Trefoil He is an ecologist from the Manx Wildlife Trust and makes it his business to keep the Island beautiful. It’s his job to select and plant a range of wildflowers to help any new developments blend into the countryside. Andree has been living and working in the Isle of Man for over 5 years during which time he has set to work on harvesting, cultivating and planting Manx wildflowers. Consequently he is the reason for natural explosions of colour appearing in the most unlikely of places.  Andree Dubbeldam at Brandish Corner The recently completed road works at Brandish Corner may have made it easier to drive in the area, but Andree’s planting work has made the whole project a little easier on the eye. “I was brought up on a market garden so when I came to the Isle of Man I was thrilled to inherit a wildflower garden at Knockaloe where I was able to continue the work of planting and growing native wildflowers. I am currently growing over 20 species of wild flower in this garden including Field mouse ear, Harebells, Marsh woundwort, IOM cabbage, Moonwort, Bluebells, Common fumitory, Biting stonecrop, Bell heather, Cushag, Cotton grass and Ox-eye daisy. The plants grown are all sourced from the native Island population.  Harebells in Jurby Once the seed is harvested dried and sorted it gets blended to form seed mixtures to sow new meadows, wetlands and other habitats. A few years on I have developed a good seasonal routine and I am now beginning to harvest substantial amount of seeds in the autumn. Planting and harvesting can be a back-breaking process but I’m used to working outdoors. During the autumn I harvest the seeds, some of which I can sell and some of which I store for future projects. Some of the seeds which are really difficult to harvest can fetch surprising amounts of money.  Spring Squill The Harebells for example take an age to harvest and when you do get them they are as fine as dust. They are worth around £4000 per kilo. The Meadowsweet by comparison will only fetch around £20 per kilo because they are much easier to harvest.” Much of my work involves planting on roadsides around the Isle of Man. Those bursts of colour are there to be enjoyed by everyone and that’s one of the most satisfying parts of my job. I also work with Manx schools and occasionally I am called in by local farmers to help re-create traditional hay meadows.  Andree harvesting seeds This is a really important part of my work as this type of environment has all but vanished in places like England. The fact that we have kept these traditions locally means we are lucky enough to see birds like the Corn Crake nesting on the Island. The best part of my job? Seeing the meadows I have planted appearing in areas like Kewaigue Bridge, Brandish Corner and Meary Veg.” last updated: 08/10/07 SEE ALSOYou are in: Isle of Man > Nature of Britain > Wildflower Mann 
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