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
‘The Big Moss Map’ is underway
February 7, 2016
Those stepping out onto the moorlands of the Peak District and South Pennines can now take part in a unique project to make a map of where Sphagnum moss is found.
A staggering 10,000 dams created on moorland
February 4, 2016
Moors for the Future Partnership are marking a significant achievement in their work to bring life back to eroded peat moorlands in the Peak District and South Pennines.
Restoration work started in North Exmoor
February 1, 2016
Work has started on a 31ha area of North Exmoor Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This entails blocking the large drainage ditches that cut into and across the small hillslope, springline and blanket mires.
Positive results for Sphagnum in the North Pennines
January 10, 2016
In 2006 the North Pennines AONB Partnership set up its peatland programme to raise awareness about, and to begin to restore, England’s largest blanket bog. Initially the restoration focus was on blocking the 10,000km of grips that had been cut into the peat body since World War Two. However, starting with one small site in 2010 the AONB’s Peatland Team are now restoring bare peat across numerous sites in the North Pennines. With 2800ha of bare peat in the North Pennies this is just the start but, after developing new techniques for the 2013 restoration season, results are already looking promising. Damaged moorland is being transformed into a moss-covered landscape, which will help stabilise the peat and allow heather and grasses to colonise the previously bare ground.
Scottish Power Renewables test new grip blocking method
January 8, 2016
Scottish Power Renewables has been test running a different method of grip blocking at their Black Law windfarm in Lanarkshire - one of the largest windfarms in the UK. In the past, they have found that building peat dams at the sufficient height, width and spacing to be effective creates too damaging an impact on the adjacent peatland, as well being both slow to work and expensive to build.
World-leading moorland partnership receives €16 million support
January 7, 2016
Largest award ever given by EU LIFE Programme to a UK conservation project
The Moors for the Future Partnership, which works to protect priority international habitats in the Peak District and South Pennines, has received 16 million euros to deliver the MoorLIFE 2020 project. This includes €12 million from the EU’s LIFE fund - which supports environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects throughout Europe - the largest award ever given to a UK-based project.
Knowledge gaps identified by Flow Country Research Conference III
January 5, 2016
Caithness and Sutherland's 'Peatland Week' saw the third Flow Country Research Conference take place in late October 2015, with a focus on research. Two workshops were held as part of the conference: the first an exercise to draw the Flow Country boundaries on a map - no easy feat; whilst the second workshop got participants discussing priorities for research, and this is what they came up with:
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…