News from Peatland ACTION - May 2025

News from Peatland ACTION - May 2025

 

  • Scottish Water has celebrated the completion of the first stage of the Peatland ACTION-funded restoration work at Loch Katrine in a great video that was released  in April 2025.

Person standing near a digger on peatland

Image: Peatland restoration at Loch Katrine. ©Jared Stewart/Scottish Water
  • Peatland restoration work was part of the successful application for Arran to be awarded UNESCO Global Geopark Status. UNESCO shared a film about the Geopark and soil health to celebrate the island’s new status.
  • One of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority’s Peatland ACTION officers, Tasha Caven, was interviewed by the BBC Radio Scotland programme Scotland Outdoors about the peatland work that the Park is delivering through Peatland ACTION. The programme aired on 20 April, and Tasha features from approximately 10 minutes in.

Two diggers carrying out work on a snowy peatland

Image: LLTNPA – some of the peatland restoration going on in the Park.
  • NatureScot Peatland ACTION has released another in its series of case study films about peatland restoration. The Ben Mor Coigach video case study focusses on how peatland restoration can work with common grazings, and is available on Peatland ACTION’s YouTube playlist

Wind turbine on a peatland

Image: Ben More Coigach 11. ©Peatland ACTION/NatureScot
  • ‘How to’ videos to help applicants draw their spatial data maps for Peatland ACTION funding are now available on the NatureScot Peatland ACTION website.
  • NatureScot Peatland ACTION now has its own weekly blog. Recent pieces have included stories about their new entrant scheme, water table monitoring, and guest articles from Tarras Valley and Butterfly Conservation’s Peatland ACTION-funded Bog Squad.

Group of people on a bog restoration work party. They are holding tools and wearing outdoor clothing.

Image: Butterfly Conservation Scotland’s Bog Squad in action.
Person smiling and pointing at a sign saying '#BeMoreMoss'. Credit Vicky Akerman
Announcing Peat-Fest South-West 2025 – a celebration of our peatland connectionsThe Art and Energy Collective has been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to…
Windfarm on peatland site
National Policy Statements public consultationOpportunity to contribute to public consultation on National Policy Statements to support Clean…
Line of fire being set by a vehicle with people on the back as part of swaling. Credit Heather Lowther (Creative Commons)
Public consultation on heather and grass burning regulations in EnglandThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme has responded to Defra’s proposal to protect a greater extent of…
Cross section of bare peat
New Peat Map for EnglandThis week Natural England published the much anticipated England Peat Map which highlights the…
IUCN World Conservation Congress logo
Peatland motion headed to World Conservation Congress for considerationThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme-led motion to develop a unified definition of peatlands has…
Area of burnt vegetation on national park in Northumberland
A collection of three Natural England reports marks a step change for English peatlandsWe summarise three new reports from Natural England which have important implications for English…
Neolithic trackway on Hatfield Moors. Credit: Henry Chapman Uni of Birmingham
New publication: Tracks and roads on peatlandsThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme are pleased to publish our latest brief focusing on the impacts of…
Peatland landscape showing flux tower and solar panel with a blue sky and hills in the background. Image credit Hollie Cooper, UKCEH
Funding announced for greenhouse gas reduction solutions on peatlandsThe UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology is seeking proposals for projects up to £75,000 to advance…
Hare's tail cottongrass on Humberhead levels
Committee on Climate Change (CCC) 7th Carbon Budget Report - a response from IUCN UK Peatland ProgrammeThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme welcomes this week the publication of the Committee on Climate…
Water vole sitting with blackberries
New species showcase - Water voleContinuing the spotlight on peatland biodiversity, our first Species Showcase of 2025 is the Water…
Digger being used to carry out peat bog restoration. Photo: Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust
Adoption of University of Cumbria PhD student’s carbon calculator brings national and international significanceThis week University of Cumbria and Barker and Bland Ltd.’s innovative carbon calculator has been…
Image advertising launch of the CivTech Round 10 Challenge
CiVTech innovators leading drive for advances within Peatland and Woodland Carbon CodesBringing efficiences to the Peatland Code and Woodland Carbon Code is the focus for three…