peatland conservation

 

After more than two decades, a significant peatland restoration initiative in southern Scotland has reached completion.

Commencing in 2000, NatureScot undertook the restoration efforts on a sprawling 90-hectare (220-acre) expanse at the Kirkconnell Flow reserve.

This region had suffered severe damage during the Victorian era due to peat cutting, followed by the implementation of drains and tree planting.

The recovery of the bog, according to Reserve Manager Suzanne McIntyre, has been nothing short of “remarkable.”

“The restoration work will still take a few years to fully embed, during which time the surface of the bog will remain delicate and in need of careful protection,” Ms McIntyre said.

“However, all the recovery signs so far indicate that the bog at Kirkconnell Flow will be as we had hoped – sufficiently resilient to withstand the expected changes to the climate, and able to lay down peat and lock in carbon for years to come.”

Barry Dunne, the Head of Peatland Operations, emphasised the crucial role peat bogs play in addressing climate and biodiversity challenges.

He expressed Peatland Action’s eagerness to collaborate with other landowners in the future, aiming to achieve even greater success in the ongoing endeavour to restore and preserve these vital ecosystems.

 

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At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about stopping the decline in our wildlife.

The decline in our wildlife is shocking and frightening. Without much more support, many of the animals we know and love will continue in their decline towards extinction.

When you help to restore a patch of degraded land through rewilding to forests, meadows, or wetlands, you have a massive impact on the biodiversity at a local level. You give animals a home and food that they otherwise would not have had, and it has a positive snowball effect on the food chain.

We are convinced that this is much better for the UK than growing lots of fast-growing coniferous trees, solely to remove carbon, that don’t actually help our animals to thrive.

This is why we stand for restoring nature in the UK through responsible rewilding. For us, it is the right thing to do. Let’s do what’s right for nature!

Donate today at https://naturalworldfund.com/ and join in the solution!

 

 

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