CANAPE - Barver Moor

The CANAPE Project (Creating A New Approach to Peatland Ecosystems) is supporting the trial of Paludiculture, the practice of wetland farming. At this particular site, the project is funding a trial of sphagnum moss farming, led by Landkries Diepholz and Stiftung Naturschutz im Landkries Diepholz.

Barver Moor is a degraded former raised bog, peatland previously used for a range of agricultural activity. As such it has been extensively drained and has undergone significant peat subsidence, losing up to 2cm a year over the last 20 years. It borders a protected area, and land still in agricultural use. It has stood unused for several years as a low grade grassland, and is at risk of losing all productive value as there is limited peat left in the ground.

The project will deliver a functioning demonstration sphagnum farm. This will consist of two polders and a reservoir. The farm will produce harvestable sphagnum moss, which can be used in a range of applications, from nature restoration to replacements for Peat Moss as a growing media.

One polder has been completed and seeded with moss. The water level on the site has been raised, reducing its Greenhouse Gas Emissions considerably.