Peatland restoration

Healthy peatlands are wet and boggy. Combined with low oxygen conditions, this moisture means plant material doesn't rot and is instead compressed into acidic peat soil. The soil has very few nutrients; specialist conditions that nurture a range of important plants that have perfectly adapted to survive in this unique environment.

Peatlands: What are they and how did they form?

Thanks to the wet, acidic, low nutrient conditions, peatlands have the ability to store millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide that has been absorbed over thousands of years, helping in the fight against climate change. Not only that, but they reduce the risk of flooding by soaking up water during periods of high rainfall and help reduce the risk of wildfires during heatwaves. By contrast, a degraded peatland actively leaks carbon into the atmosphere and contributes heavily to our climate crisis.

Our peatlands are home to an array of specialist wildlife that have perfectly adapted to the unique and hostile environment of a peatland. From large heath butterflies and bog bush crickets, to the incredible carnivorous sundew and spongey sphagnum mosses, peatlands have a tremendous array of fascinating wildlife to offer.

Unfortunately a lot of the plants and wildlife that live on peatlands are under threat due to habitat destruction. Because they are such specialists in their habitat, they have nowhere else to go. Once our peatlands are gone, the wildlife that live on them will go too.

98% of the lowland peatlands across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and North Merseyside have already been destroyed, and the precious 2% that remain face serious threats from all corners:

• Draining: Removing moisture upsets the delicate peatland ecosystem and can very quickly turn it back into grassland or woodland. The peatland flora and fauna, adapted for the previous environment, then struggles to survive.
• Agriculture: Fertilisers add nutrients to the low nutrient soil. These are then very difficult if not impossible to remove, permanently decreasing the area of peatland habitat.
• Development: As lowland habitats, there is a lot of pressure for lowland peatlands to be taken over by housing and infrastructure.
• Misinformation: Historically, people placed little value on peatland habitats, seeing them as unproductive wastelands, and this preconception has endured.

98% of the lowland peatlands across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and North Merseyside have already been destroyed

Restoring and protecting our precious peatlands is crucial not just for wildlife, but for us. They are nature reserves, carbon-stores, flood barriers and a wild reminder of a time before man-made pressures took hold. Once a peatland has degraded past a certain point it cannot be restored, and this precious wild place will be lost forever.

Our reserve staff, conservation team, volunteers and project leaders are working hard to re-wet the peatland landscape, building dams and bunds to raise the water levels and begin the restoration process.

We're working with landowners to improve the condition of the peatlands they own, and we campaign for the protection of key peatland sites.

We purchase key peatland sites to protect them from destruction, restoring them and then maintaining them through continuous monitoring. We're dedicated to preserving these precious habitats for future generations of both people and wildlife.

Together we can protect our peatlands for wildlife, for people; for everyone.

Here are just a few ways you can help our peatlands recover...