Nature recovery: wetland restoration
11 people attending
4 places left
Natural peat bogs are a wonderful carbon store and old dry bogs are being restored and 're-wetted' all over the country. On this event you will be shown the amazing work that has already been done on a bog between Watendlath and Thirlmere in the Lake District; and you will help continue the work by planting sphagnum moss plants and building 'leaky dams' to help create ponds rich in insect, bird and plant life. We will be with the project manager who will tell us all about this and other fascinating projects - it promises to be a really interesting and worthwhile day.
This event is part of a weekend camping event in Borrowdale which you can book in here.
On Sunday you might also want to join a walk led by the NT Ranger who will show us some of the fascinating river restoration work that is going on the Borrowdale. You can join that even (event not yet ready)
You can watch a short film about bog restoration here https://youtu.be/IwdeIRfNziw
And learn more here
And some more background: At least 70 per cent of English peatlands are damaged by drainage, heavy grazing, regular burning, cultivation, forestry or other management. Scotland and Wales appear similar.
Once the peatland is damaged it is no longer waterlogged and the specialist plant species that make the peatland, such as Sphagnum mosses, cannot survive.
Once these plant species are lost bare peat areas can form and the surface dries, crumbles and cracks; rapidly eroding during severe weather.
Restoring peatlands aims to reverse this damage by covering bare peat areas with vegetation, blocking drains to raise the water table and return the waterlogged conditions and re-introducing Sphagnum mosses into areas they have been lost.
Photos Leader's own and used with permission.
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, even if they are extremely mild, or who has recently tested positive for Covid-19, is asked not to attend.
What to bring
As we will be working in very wet ground you should bring wellies to work in, but wear normal walking boots to for the walk up to the bog area. Usual warm and waterproof gear will be needed.
Food & drink
Bring a packed lunch and something warm to drink.