Our peatland landscapes are huge carbon stores, provide over one-quarter of the UK’s drinking water and are massive water filters that enable rivers to run clear. Many of our lowland peatlands have historically been drained of water to create drier soils suitable for agricultural use and food production. Unfortunately, dry peat is easily eroded and washed away, it’s a fire hazard and it starts to emit instead of store carbon dioxide. There’s a big opportunity to restore our peatlands, as only 22% of UK peatlands are currently in a near natural or rewetted condition.
If you want to read or listen to a couple of inspiring examples about peatland restoration, look below. If you are already involved in a peatland project, jump here if you want to do something bigger.
Inspiration read
Carbon farming initiative
Winmarleigh Moss
The Winmarleigh carbon farm in Wyre district is a pioneering project working to restore the carbon storage capacity of lowland agricultural peatlands. It’s a collaboration between Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Manchester Metropolitan University and sphagnum producer, BeadaMoss. Together, the carbon farm is piloting a different way of managing lowland peat soils – re-wetting the land and growing a permanent cover crop of peat-forming sphagnum moss – to keep the soil carbon locked up in the ground whilst keeping the land financially viable for farmers and landowners.
Carbon farming
Carbon farming is a new way of considering ‘productive land use’ and of managing land to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester and store further carbon. The crop from the land is the carbon that is saved from the atmosphere, counted in terms of the carbon dioxide equivalents of all the different types of greenhouse gases that are locked into the ground and not emitted (referred to simply as ‘carbon’). The crop of carbon saved by restoring the peatland is then ‘sold’ with funds coming from government subsidies or payments from organisations looking to offset unavoidable carbon emissions.
A richer way forward
The degradation of peatlands has a negative impact on soil health that affects the long-term viability of agriculture in these areas. This is compounded by the fact that peatlands are naturally low in nutrients and sites that have been drained to support pasture or the production of arable crops require significant amounts of artificial fertilisers. By managing the land as a carbon farm, the area of Winmarleigh Moss should require very little maintenance and the project is working on an evidence-based economic case for this carbon farming model that demonstrates a similar or higher financial yield than traditional farming.
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Inspiration listen
Reduce Food Waste
How can community organisations, charities and businesses come together across the UK to tackle the BIG problem of food waste?
Do something bigger
Whether you are someone who lives in a peatland area or are a producer or consumer of peat products, you can have an impact in helping restore degraded peatlands and their amazing abilities to store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases, hold back and filter water, and improve local biodiversity.
Help re-wet peatlands
As a community member, if you live in a region where there are peatlands (see this map to check), you can contact your local Wildlife Trust to see if there are any special peatland restoration and management projects on the go. Conservation staff, volunteers and project leaders work together to help re-wet our peatland landscapes by building dams and bunds to raise water levels and begin the restoration process; work with landowners to improve the condition of the peatlands they own; work in the wider community to raise awareness of key peatland sites.
Go peat-free
As a decision maker in your local council, plant nursery, retailer (and in your own garden!), stop using peat-based composts and plants grown in peat. For example, the survey results from the most recent Council Climate Action Scorecards indicate a big opportunity, with only 27 out of 186 single tier councils using peat-free compost or soil in their landscaping and horticulture work. Go ahead and ask your local retailer to go peat-free, write a letter and support peat-free nurseries instead. And if you have a garden or allotment, start using peat-free compost ahead of the government’s promised peat bans for household use.
Try wetter farming
As a landowner or farmer, explore the feasibility of productive agriculture on wet or re-wetted land (often peatland) known as ‘wetter farming’. For example, in wetlands such as the Norfolk Broads where native reed has been harvested for roof thatch for generations, much of this land is currently drained and we now import 95% of our thatching reed. Crops grown under wetter farming conditions include celery, blueberries and lettuce, as well as more novel bulrushes. Information on other crop trials can be found at Padiculture.
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