RSPB Scotland Forsinard Flows need your vote

March 14, 2017

A project to restore part of the intricate blanket bog at RSPB Scotland Forsinard Flows nature reserve is in the running to receive funding from the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA).

Red-throated diver - Credit Chris Gomersall / rspb-images.comThe final decision is decided by public vote on the EOCA website, with the project with most votes in each category receiving funding for their project.

Spokesman for RSPB Scotland said:

"While all the projects shortlisted in the Nature category are incredibly worthwhile, we are (of course!) backing ours and ask if you could take a moment to do the same."

Forsinard Flows - Credit Eleanor Bentall / rspb-images.com

Some of the reasons why a vote for 'Restoring the Peatland of the Flow Country, Scotland' is so important:

  • The Flow Country is an awe inspiring place - you can see for miles across the vast landscape
  • Much of the landscape is made of blanket bog - a globally rare habitat, home to many special plants and animals
  • The peatland here is the UK's largest terrestrial carbon store and is vitally important to help tackle climate change
  • Its importance is highlighted by the fact that UNESCO is currently considering awarding the Flow Country World Heritage Site status.

Non-native forestry plantations were planted across the Flow Country in the 1970s and 1980s causing a lot of damage, with the peat drying out and eroding away. The project in the running for EOCA funding is focused on one area - the Dyke Plantation - and if successful, will be part of a programme of restoration under the Flows to the Future project.

The funding will enable the project to clear 3.64 ha of trees, remove the timber and re-create the open peatland environment. Drains in the ground will be blocked, helping to restore the water table level. This work will be monitored, to see how the wildlife benefits, as well as calculate the carbon saving made.

Option to vote here.

Image credit: Red-throated diver - Chris Gomersall / The Flows - Eleanor Bentall (both rspb-images.com)
Exterior view of Virtual Peatland Pavilion showing four large domes in an urban landscape
New Virtual Peatland Pavilion launched for COP29To raise awareness of the global importance of peatlands during COP29, the latest pavilion has been…
Cover image for 'The most important plant in the world' showing the film's title in yellow text over a background of Sphagnum moss
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…
Cumbrian tarn - large body of water with emergent vegetation and hills in the distance. Image credit Steve Hewert.
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…
Flat peatland landscape on fire with large plumes of smoke. Image credit Paul Turner
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…
Painting of a river in spate: Peter Graham 1866, 'A spate in the highlands'
Call for proposals for Water Research Seminar SeriesThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme and the Environment Agency are delighted to announce a series of…
'Work in progress' sign with a digger on it next to two photographs of children drawing on large sheets of paper
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…
SWPP award
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…
Exterior view of Virtual Peatland Pavilion showing four large domes in a desert landscape
Seeking content for the COP29 Virtual Peatland PavilionThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme and Global Peatlands Initiative are seeking new content for an…
UK Peatland Strategy
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…
Peatland at Inshriach, Allt a’ Mharcaidh
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…
Landscape of mountains and forest
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 in white writing with blue background and outlines of scales, lightbulb and book
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…