The IUCN UK Peatland Programme advocates the multiple benefits of peatlands through partnerships, strong science, sound policy and effective practice.
Desmids of peatlands © Emma Goodyer
Latest News
Latest News
New initiative to combine data across studies and sites to better inform peatland policy and practice
April 23, 2019
Researchers, practitioners and policy-makers from across Europe, whose goal is to understand better how peatlands respond to climate change, land use and restoration took part in a workshop in Newcastle in March. Their aim was to begin the process of finding a way to standardise the collection of environmental data so it can be combined from multiple studies and sites to better inform policy and practice.
Wetland Futures in Contested Environments: an inter- and transdisciplinary approach to wetland heritage in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Ireland
April 12, 2019
Wetlands across Europe, and around the world, are undergoing rapid changes from a range of pressures, but there are no tailor-made or proactive studies to identify the impacts of change on their heritage resource.
Peat-free growing media - Promoting long-term growth and sustainable business
February 18, 2019
Peat as a growing medium ingredient is becomingly increasingly unacceptable and this has led in recent years to more and more use of peat-free growing media.
The pain of a peat-free UK?
February 18, 2019
30 years ago Plantlife’s then CEO Jane Smart, now IUCN’s Global Director of IUCN’s Biodiversity Conservation Group and Director of IUCN’s Global Species Programme, launched an appeal to protect our peatlands, in what was Plantlife’s first campaign.
As Plantlife celebrates its 30th birthday much has changed however the drive to protect our special peatlands remains a critical environmental cause.
Moving towards a future of peat-free products
February 18, 2019
Cheap, usually imported, bags of peat do not reflect the environmental costs to society caused by peat mining and are undercutting the production and supply of peat-free materials. Advances in the development of peat-free horticultural products, means that the UK could establish its own long-term viable industry providing sustainable soil conditioners and growing materials for amateur and professional gardeners
Opportunity for peatland restoration projects to help track progress against UK Peatland Strategy
February 15, 2019
The UK Peatland Strategy set a target of two million hectares of peatland in good condition, under restoration or being sustainably managed by 2040.
Now Available Free Online: Conserving Bogs; The Management Handbook
December 19, 2018
We are currently updating 'Conserving Bogs; The Management Handbook', a handbook of methods and techniques to effectively manage and conserve bogs. We hope to have the revised version online in the first half of 2019.
New Virtual Peatland Pavilion launched for COP29To raise awareness of the global importance of peatlands during COP29, the latest pavilion has been…
Specially commissioned film celebrates 'The most important plant in the world'The IUCN UK Peatland Programme has commissioned the first in a series of short films, celebrating…
Launch of the Peatland Code Version 2.1The IUCN UK Peatland Programme has launched a new update to the Peatland Code, which helps to boost…
New brief highlights the importance of peatland rewetting for wildfire resilienceThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme's latest publication explores recent evidence from the UK and North…
Call for proposals for Water Research Seminar SeriesThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme and the Environment Agency are delighted to announce a series of…
The Power of the Peat Bogs! How pupils turned their environmental education into a song Primary school pupils who have engaged with a project to restore ancient peatland and traditional…
South West Peatland Partnership awarded gold by Global Good AwardsThe South West Peatland Partnership won a Gold award at the Global Good Awards for their work…
Seeking content for the COP29 Virtual Peatland PavilionThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme and Global Peatlands Initiative are seeking new content for an…
New report celebrates UK peatland restoration – but climate and nature targets still at riskAnalysis reveals 250,000 hectares of peatland restoration activity over 30 years – way short of the…
Largest ever gathering of UK peatland experts to celebrate ‘Peatlands, People and Nature’ in the Cairngorms National ParkAviemore in the Cairngorms National Park is to play host to the UK’s largest gathering of peatland…
View the full programme for #PeatConf24 and book your tickets now!The full programme for the IUCN UK Peatland Programme 2024 conference ‘Peatlands, People and Nature…
CivTech challenge invites ideas for Peatland Code and Woodland Carbon CodeProposals are being invited for the Scottish Government's CivTech Challenge 10.6 to use technology…