Restoring peatlands to tackle climate change
Thousands of hectares of peatlands from the Great North Bog to the Norfolk Broads are set to be restored.
With twelve new projects awarded £16 million funding on the 26th August 2023. quality and reduce the risk of flooding.
Full list of projects:
Norfolk – The Buttle Marshes Restoration project led by the Broads Authority will restore 26 hectares of peatland which has been historically drained for arable cultivation.
Dorset – The Dorset Peat Partnership will restore 170 hectares of mire and fen habitat under restoration across 16 sites within the Dorset Heaths. The sites are popular with walkers, families and community groups and the project will use engagement opportunities to promote sustainable recreation and conservation.
Durham – led by Durham County Council and the North Pennines AONB (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) partnership, it will extend previous restoration and discovery projects supporting the Great North Bog. With an additional 1,127 hectares of degraded blanket bog to support biodiversity in Yorkshire and the North Pennines.
Somerset – This project will support the restoration and rewetting of 35 hectares of lowland fen peat at RSPB’s Greylake Reserve, building on findings from the Somerset Peat Partnership-led discovery grant.
North Yorkshire – The Moor to Restore project will see over 1,100 hectares of upland bog restored in the North York Moors National Park.
Peak District – The Peak District National Authority will work with the Moors for Climate partnership restoring peatlands across three sites in the Peak District National Park. The partnership will plant species such as sphagnum moss to improve water quality, and will also learn about moorland fire prevention.
Peak District – based at Park Hall and Kinder Scout, this project will restore over 420 hectares of degraded blanket bog.
Lincolnshire – The Fens East Peat Partnership will restore over 1,300 hectares of peatland in the Fens East, which includes agricultural peatlands and landscapes already being restored.
Lincolnshire – Project in the Humberhead Levels area will see the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust restore relic raised bogs which have historically been drained for agriculture or for fuel. Restoration activities will see action to control scrub and improve water level management to improve the landscape.
Lancashire – The Red Rose Project will restore over 400 hectares of degraded lowland and upland peatlands within the Lancashire area, building on the Peatland Discovery Grants which enabled restoration plans to be developed as a baseline for data collection and landowner engagement.
Lancashire – The Holcombe Moor project will restore 135 hectares of peatland using innovative techniques to raise the water levels on blanket bog which has degraded due to industrial pollution, overgrazing and wildfire. The location of the site near to the industrial heartlands of Greater Manchester and Lancashire will provide opportunities for local people to take part in guided walks and connect with nature on their doorsteps.
Cumbria – Partnership between the National Trust, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will restore over 1370 hectares of peatlands across the uplands of Cumbria and the Forest of Bowland.
