A number of applications have now been submitted to Peatland Action to fund peatland restoration across the region this winter. It will be a busy winter as Scotland wide over 100 projects will be running to restore 1000’s of ha of peatland. Here’s hoping the winter is a mild one! To find out more about why peatland restoration is so important visit the Peatland Action website.
We have also been busy helping run the first ever Peatland Restoration Training event, right here in D&G at Gatehouse of Fleet. The two day event was aimed specifically at machine operators and project managers and was a mix of theory and practice. The first day was an indoor session discussing the importance of peatlands for carbon, biodiversity, water quality and land management, restoration techniques and the logistics of planning and managing a restoration project.
The second day (which stayed dry!) was spent out on the hill at the Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve looking at areas already restored by ditch blocking and hagg reprofiling. We also had an excavator on site to demonstrate these techniques along with ditch reprofiling.
Peatland Action are keen to run more of these events, and there could be another event in the south west this winter. Watch this space!
If you would like to find out more about peatland restoration, funding opportunities and future training events just get in touch with Emily, the Peatland Action Officer for D&G
