Latest news with #peatlandrestoration
BBC News
6 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Rare birds appear as Wicken Fen's £1.8m peat restoration finishes
Rare wetland birds such as cranes and great egrets have appeared within hours of the completion of a peatland restoration project, according to the National charity began restoring 590 acres (238 hectares) of lowland peat, a vital carbon store, at its oldest nature reserve, Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, a year ago. Peatland restoration project manager Ellis Selway said: "Seeing nature respond so quickly gives us real hope for the future of this landscape."The £1.8m works also revealed a significant archaeological discovery - a 5,000-year-old bog oak that archaeologists say is older than Stonehenge. Mr Selway said: "Watching cranes arrive so soon after we raised the water was a moment I won't forget - it made all the effort and planning worthwhile." Peatlands, like those at Wicken Fen, store more carbon than all the world's forests combined, according to the National Trust. Part of the project focused on Burwell Fen, which had been reclaimed for agriculture during World War Two and was acquired in 2001. Despite being drained and degraded, it included an area of deep peat where an extinct river once flowed. While a full fen habitat will take time to develop, other notable species that appeared shortly after Burwell Fen was re-wetted included spoonbill and wading birds such as curlew and a pair of little ringed plovers. The ancient bog oak was unearthed from peat at Spinney Bank. Cambridge Archaeological Unit used tree-ring analysis to reveal it began growing 2,894 BC, lived for 222 years, and pre-dated the start of peat formation."Discovering a tree that took root nearly 5,000 years ago is a humbling reminder of how much history is preserved in these ancient landscapes," said Mr Selway. However, a find initially believed to be a 17th Century cannonball from the English Civil Wars is more likely to have been a rollerball from a 19th Century wind trust said the project was its largest lowland peat restoration projectEmma Ormond-Bones, Wicken Fen general manager, said: "It's providing the space and conditions nature needs to recover, while also helping to store carbon and make landscapes more resilient to future environmental challenges." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Canford Heath recovery after fire damage shown in photographs
Before and after images have been released to show how a heath is being restored back to life after a major fire.A blaze, which was believed to have been started deliberately in April 2022, saw 20 families forced to flee their homes at Canford Heath in Poole, the last 18 months Dorset Peat Partnership, led by Dorset Wildlife Trust, has worked to restore 172 hectares (425 acres) of damaged peatlands."I am delighted to see the completion of such important work at Canford Heath," said Councillor Andy Hadley. The portfolio holder for climate response, environment and energy, at BCP Council said: "Peatlands across Dorset have, unfortunately, been in a state of decline over recent years. This project secures essential revitalisation to the habitats."Restoring peatlands will deliver long-term ecological benefits for the surrounding areas and help protect the many species that live in our wetlands and help protect the urban area from flooding events." The work forms part of a £1m project by Dorset Peat Partnership - of which Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is a partner - to restore 16 peatlands across the Heath's restoration has taken about six weeks with fire-damaged pines removed and repurposed to create a functioning bog from the pines has been used to block drainage channels, dense areas of Molinia grass tussocks have been reduced to increase groundwater saturation, and contour bunds have been created with peat to hold water of this work improves the habitat for nature and reduces the risk of flooding, carbon emissions and urban wildfires, Dorset Peat Partnership said. It is hoped the rewetting of Canford Heath will help rare species like dragonflies to thrive in the Hervé, project manager at Dorset Peat Partnership, said: "After many months of planning, it's great to see the works completed and to already see water being stored on the heath using nature-based solutions. "We hope that local users will be impressed with the new habitats that will form in the future."Dorset's heathland has faced a series of fires in recent April firefighters were called to two blazes at Upton Heath and Canford Heath in fire service also believed those incidents were caused by "human intervention". You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
