In 1993-4 the Manx Nature Conservation Trust undertook the first detailed survey of urban wildlife on the Isle of Man.
Ramsey was chosen for the study being the second largest town and because it was believed to include more sites of major wildlife value than any other urban centre on the Island.
Data was collected in the field using survey methodology developed by the Nature Conservancy Council. Sixty nine sites were surveyed and 4 categories of habitat recorded, data for species collected at the sites was concentrated on ferns and higher plants for which a combined total of 627 species was found, including Trifolium subterraneum (subterranean clover) a species new to the Isle of Man.
Eighty six species of birds were recorded in a separate census carried out as part of the Survey. The addition of earlier data brings the total number of species recorded in Ramsey to 668 higher plants and ferns and 120 birds.
Habitats ranged from semi-natural woodland on the slopes above the town through various types of grassland to salt marsh in the estuary of the river and yellow dune on the open shore.
Three sites, an area of semi-natural woodland, a stretch of salt marsh and a strip of yellow dune, each with a varied flora including scarce species, were considered to be of particularly high wildlife merit and were recommended for recognition as Area's of Special Scientific Interest.
The report is available for download either as a single document (7 Mb) or in three parts for ease of download.