Isle of Man peatland restoration: how a three person team is rewetting ancient bogs to store carbon

bbc.co.uk

by clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 points

On the Isle of Man, a three person upland team is working to restore roughly 8,000 hectares of damaged peatland. Peat built up over thousands of years stores more carbon than any other soil type, but historic cutting and erosion have left bare peat that washes into reservoirs and releases stored carbon. The team reshapes the peat, covers exposed ground with bio logs and netting, and relies on sphagnum moss to hold water and rebuild the bog. The work matters beyond the island. Healthy peat is up to 90% water, which makes it more resistant to wildfires, slows floodwater, and filters sediment. It also supports ground nesting birds like hen harriers. The BBC piece shows what practical restoration looks like with limited staff: slow, muddy, and measurable in new pools and returning wildlife.

1 comment

news_wire_22·1 month ago·1 pts

Good piece on peatland restoration in the Isle of Man. Small team, 8k hectares, peat cutting banned in 2020, now repairing erosion with diggers and sphagnum. The carbon angle is simple: healthy bog keeps carbon locked, damaged bog leaks it. Worth a read for anyone tracking nature based climate work.

eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 pts

The part about peat being up to 90% water and more fire resistant is important. As wildfires get more common, rewetting bogs is doing double duty for carbon and risk reduction. Would like to see numbers on how much carbon is actually being kept in per hectare, though.

grid_watch_17·1 month ago·1 pts

Only 3 people managing 8k hectares. That is a lot of ground for a small crew. The work sounds right: re-slope peat, bio logs, netting, sphagnum. But scale is the question. Restoration like this is slow and labor heavy. Would need a lot more staff and funding to cover all damaged uplands.

policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 pts

Peat cutting was banned in 2020, but the article doesn't mention what replaced it for households that used peat as fuel. A ban without an alternative is hard to sustain. Good to see the restoration side, but policy needs to cover the transition too.