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Aerial view of a large area of peatland restoration with large bog pools surrounded by agricultural fields.

LIFEquake project site at Dowrog Common in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Credit: LIFEquake project, Natural Resources Wales.

Peatlands Under Pressure

IUCN UK Peatland Programme Conference 2026

9 - 11 June, Swansea, Wales 

Book your ticket

Our annual conference series provides a valuable convening function for the peatland community to share knowledge, enthusiasm and experience and seek solutions to the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. We bring together everyone with an interest in these unique and important habitats, from land managers, policy makers and businesses to restoration practitioners, creatives and scientists from the UK and beyond.

The theme of our 2026 conference is ‘Peatlands Under Pressure’ and we’ll be exploring the challenges peatlands face from development, intensive land management and a changing climate, as well as the opportunities presented by scaling up nature-based solutions to environmental pressures. 

The conference takes us to Swansea University’s Bay Campus in South Wales, a beautiful location with its own beach, seafront promenade and on-site accommodation, and the perfect base from which to explore the peatlands of south Wales. Over three days, there will be plenary sessions, workshops, topic deep dives and field visits bringing together research, policy and practice. Alongside this diverse programme, there will be additional opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing, with dedicated poster sessions and networking events, and an exhibition area throughout the event. 

Area of open peatland bathed in golden light with hills in the distance.

Cors Caron National Nature Reserve in Ceredigion, West Wales. Credit: Natural Resources Wales.

Aerial view of curving cell bunds creating large pools with areas of felled trees in between.

Llyn Du forest to bog peatland restoration sire in the Tywi Forest, Mid Wales. Credit: Wales National Peatland Action Programme.

Aerial view of a lowland peatland showing large pools separated by peat bunds and a lake surrounded by deciduous trees

Llyn Llech Owain peatland restoration site in Camarthenshire, Wales.

What to expect

  • ~300 delegates at this year’s event. Delegates will be able to join online on Tuesday 9 June only, or in-person for the entire event or individual days.
  • Exhibition and networking opportunities at our evening poster session and meal on 9 June, our evening conference dinner on 10 June, and throughout the event.
  • Visits to locally important peatland sites on 10 June, including options from a range of peatland habitats, and experience of different management and restoration techniques first-hand in a beautiful landscape.
  • Deep-dives into a range of themed topics at our workshop and knowledge-sharing sessions on 11 June.

Programme outline

Tuesday 9 June

  • Plenary sessions sharing the work of the IUCN UK Peatland Programme, progress towards national peatland strategy in Wales and the challenges peatlands face from development and land management pressures.
  • The return of our ‘Peatland Cinema’, featuring short films from across the peatland community to intrigue and inspire.
  • Evening meal and poster session featuring contributions from across the peatland community, alongside our dedicated exhibition space for partners and sponsors.

Wednesday 10 June

  • Choose from a variety of field trip options to local peatland sites, featuring different peatland habitats, management and restoration techniques and introducing a range of organisations involved in peatland management. Lunch and transport will be provided from the main conference venue and delegates will be required to select field trips in advance on a first come, first served basis. Field trip bookings will be released in May.
  • Conference dinner, networking and evening entertainment.

Thursday 11 June

  • Morning and afternoon topic deep dives across a range of themes. Delegates will be required to select workshops in advance on a first come, first served basis and workshop bookings will be released in May.
  • Plenary session reflecting on findings from the conference and the future for peatlands.

Booking

Conference tickets are available to purchase through TicketTailor. We are offering an Early Bird discount on full tickets until 12 March.  

Field visits and workshops must be booked in advance of the conference on a first come, first served basis. Once you have purchased your ticket, you will be informed by email as soon as the full programme of field visits and workshops is available and open for bookings.

Travel and accommodation

Accommodation is not offered as part of our ticket options, but you can book on-campus accommodation separately through Swansea University until 1 May. There are also many accommodation options available off-campus.

Swansea is well connected by public transport, and we encourage our delegates to use low-carbon travel options wherever possible.

Visit our dedicated travel and accommodation webpage to find out more.

Abstract submissions

Open call for posters and workshop sessions

The IUCN UK Peatland Programme Conference 2026 is inviting abstracts for poster and workshop sessions. A dedicated Poster Session will take place on Day 1, with all posters remaining accessible throughout the conference. Day 3 of the conference will feature two two‑hour Workshop Sessions. 

Poster Submission Process

Authors are invited to submit poster proposals through this Google Form. Each submission should include a title and an abstract of up to 150 words. Successful applicants will be notified no later than the week commencing 13 April. Posters must be printed in A0 portrait format. Please note that participants are responsible for bringing their own printed posters.
We also offer for accepted posters to be published on our conference webpage after the conference. 

Timeline & Key Dates

  • Announcement of the call for posters: February 18th, 2026
  • Submission deadline for the poster proposal’s abstract: April 10th, 2026
  • Notification of acceptance or rejection: from April 13th, 2026 to April 17th, 2026
  • Conference date: June 9th to 11th, 2026
  • Final poster pdf submission for display on conference website: June 12th, 2026
     

Workshop Submission Process

Facilitators are invited to submit workshop proposals in an open call through this Google Form, but we encourage all submissions to reflect the conference theme: Peatlands Under Pressure. Each proposal should include a title and an abstract of up to 250 words. Successful applicants will be notified no later than the week commencing 30 March.

Timeline & Key Dates

  • Announcement of the call for workshops: February 18th, 2026
  • Submission deadline for the workshop proposals: March 27th, 2026
  • Notification of acceptance or rejection: from March 30th, 2026 to April 3rd, 2026
  • Conference date: June 9th to 11th, 2026

Sponsorship and exhibition space

The Peatland Programme is a non-profit organisation and our conferences are only possible thanks to the support of our dedicated partners, supporters and sponsors. We are currently seeking sponsors to showcase their work by supporting the conference financially. This year’s venue features dedicated exhibition space available across the three days, and we’re also offering the opportunity to sponsor various aspects of the event, including supporting those on low incomes to attend. If you are interested in supporting us and/or exhibiting this year, view the available packages in our sponsorship brochure and contact info@iucn.org.uk. 

Further information

Further announcements will be made on this webpage, on our LinkedIn channel, and in our quarterly newsletters. If you have any questions about our conference, or are interested in contributing to and/or sponsoring the event, please contact info@iucn.org.uk.