Pledge 4 - 1,000 hectares of peatland restoration by 2030

We’ve pledged to restore 1,000 hectares of peat. Our partnership with RSPB to restore 941 hectares of ancient peatbog at Dovestone is just one example of how we are working towards that target.

• £1.2 million of funding from Natural England’s Nature for Climate Peatland Capital Grant Scheme will be used to bring an ancient peat bog back from the brink
• Peat bogs are a vital resource in the fight against climate change – helping to store huge amounts of air polluting carbon
• Funding will ensure that vital work restoring the peat bog can continue 

An ancient peat bog at RSPB Dove Stone near Oldham, Greater Manchester, has received a £1.2 million injection of cash funding from Natural England’s Nature for Climate Peatland Capital Grant Scheme fund to help with vital restoration work at the site.

A further £400,000 of funding is also being provided by UU bringing the total funding to £1.6 million.

In addition, RSPB volunteers are set to contribute their time to help the project – estimated to be worth about £168,000 in working hours.

The 941 hectare peat bog, capable of absorbing huge amounts of air polluting carbon - a vital resource in helping to reduce the impact of climate change - has suffered over the last 200 years from acid rain and pollution. This means the peat bog, which is an incredibly important habitat for wildlife and the local climate, has eroded and is drying out and is now releasing carbon into our atmosphere rather than storing it.

The funding aims to start reversing this damage and to help continue restoration of the site, enabling it to retain and improve upon its SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) protected status, encouraging more wildlife to return and eventually becoming an ‘active blanket bog’ – restoring it to the peak of health that will also contribute to improving water quality.

To achieve this the funding will assist a restoration project to:

• Install 10,000 peat dams to keep water in the peat bog – this is vital to prevent dead plants decomposing in the bog as it is this dead plant matter that eventually turns into new peat and stores carbon
• Add 511,000 sphagnum moss plants to the bog, helping to revegetate the site, which will in turn make it a healthier peat bog and slow water flow
• Use 1,000 stone dams to reduce water loss which will in turn allow the moss to grow

The project will encourage the local community to volunteer and get involved in caring for this precious habitat which is on their doorstep, contractors from the local area will be hired to work on the site, and the project will also provide new jobs.

This includes the addition of two new seasonal fire rangers, who will patrol the nature reserve and the surrounding Longdendale Valley, to help prevent wildfires, which have devastated the area in recent days. The rangers will be a ‘visible, on-the-ground presence’ to educate visitors about BBQs and campfires, remove litter and report any issues to emergency services.

Fire Watch volunteers will also be recruited to assist the wardens and act as an early warning system in the event of fires breaking out on-site or in the surrounding area.

The RSPB is working in partnership with the landowner, United Utilities, and both organisations are in it for the long run as it can take centuries of careful habitat management to restore a peat bog back to full health.