Working Together with Nature at Comis Hotel & Golf Resort

As part of our Sustainable September campaign, we are delighted to share insights from Comis Hotel & Golf Resort, who are leading the way in embedding environmental responsibility into every aspect of their operations. Their commitment to rewilding, community engagement, and innovative land management demonstrates how businesses on the Isle of Man can make a real difference - showing that when we work together, we can help our Island thrive for generations to come.

At Comis, sustainability is not a separate project, it is a way of working that runs through everything we do. Our team, community and stakeholders are all part of this journey. By combining practical projects with education and partnership, we are creating spaces that enhance biodiversity, reduce environmental impact and hopefully inspire the next generation. The development of our wildflower garden and bug hotel is an example of this shared commitment.

Rewilding with Purpose

Our sustainability committee took the decision to rewild approximately half an acre of golf course and transform it into a wildflower garden. This was not a cosmetic project, but a deliberate effort to create a habitat and make more space for nature within the heart of our resort. The garden is already a thriving patchwork of colour, attracting bees, butterflies and other pollinators, as well as providing food and shelter for birds and small mammals.

Wildflower gardens are not only beautiful, they also reduce the need for intensive maintenance; compared with golf course, wildflower meadows require less cutting, fertiliser and therefore energy to sustain. Their root systems stabilise soil, improve fertility and store carbon. They are a reminder that sustainable land management can benefit both the environment and the business.

Learning Through Action

The creation of the Wildflower Garden was completed in partnership with Kewaigue Primary School. We invited the school to take part in every step of the process. Each class adopted, prepared and even seeded a strip, learning about soil preparation, seed sowing and the importance of pollinators. The project took learning out of the classroom and showed how even small patches of land can make a big difference to biodiversity.

When the children returned later in the year for the Comis/Kewaigue community day, they found a living, colourful space buzzing with life. For us, their excitement confirmed that practical experience has the power to inspire lasting understanding. It’s one thing to read about biodiversity and another to see bees visiting flowers planted with your own hands.

Comis Bug Hotel

The wildflower garden sits alongside our bug hotel, built with the help of Kewaigue using natural materials including logs, pinecones and twigs. The construction provides shelter for insects including beetles, ladybirds and solitary bees. Often overlooked, invertebrates form the foundation of healthy ecosystems and by giving them a safe place to live we support biodiversity.

For the children, the hotel was another lesson in how small projects can have big impacts. Our team had the chance to collaborate with the community, demonstrate sustainable land management and create a feature that our bug hotel visitors can enjoy.

Staff and Stakeholder Involvement

Our staff play a central role in making these projects possible; grounds teams prepared the site, hospitality teams helped coordinate school visits and management have helped share progress with guests and partners. Sustainability only works when it is embedded across an organisation and the enthusiasm of our colleagues shows what can be achieved when everyone gets involved.

We also have the support of stakeholders including the Manx Wildlife Trust and UNESCO Biosphere. Their advice and encouragement ensure that our actions align with broader island priorities for conservation and sustainable development and by working together we achieve more than a single organisation could on its own.

Closing the Loop

Another initiative is the development of our resort composting scheme. Kitchen and greens waste is collected, composted and then used across the resort. This initiative reduces waste sent for incineration, lowers disposal costs and provides a natural compost for our grounds. Composting turns waste into a useful resource, closing the loop through a circular approach to waste management.

Looking Ahead

The Comis Bug Hotel and Wildflower Resort is only the beginning; we will continually monitor resort biodiversity, expand planting schemes and seek new opportunities for community engagement.

What makes these projects more powerful is the way they bring people together: staff working side by side with schoolchildren, local organisations sharing expertise and guests discovering the beauty of our wilder landscape.

Comis are proud UNESCO Biosphere partners and prouder still that our little projects are helping make the Island a place where people, planet and business can flourish together.