The South West Peatland Partnership (SWPP) has been recognised at the 2024 Cornwall Sustainability Awards for its outstanding contribution to enhancing Cornwall’s natural environment. The ‘Environmental Growth’ award recognises the vital work underway in restoring degrading peatlands across Bodmin Moor and West Penwith.

The SWPP is a collaboration of multiple organisations dedicated to tackling carbon emissions from degrading peat, improving water retention in the landscape and diversifying wildlife habitat.

Conrad Barrowclough, SWPP Restoration Manager, recognised the collaborative nature of peatland restoration in Cornwall: “We’re absolutely overjoyed to have our peatland restoration work so highly recognised at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards, and are particularly pleased that the judges recognised the efforts we make to ensure the work is delivered in a holistic manner.”

“Done right, peatland restoration work offers huge benefits to farmers, archaeology, and local employment; and by reflecting local priorities in the areas we work in we feel we get the best outcomes. There’s so much potential for further peatland restoration in Cornwall, from the rugged uplands of Bodmin Moor to the windswept valley mires of West Penwith, and we look forward to continuing restoration work over the next few years in this most inimitable of regions.”

The Environmental Growth category of the Cornwall Sustainability Awards focused on the restoration of wildlife habitats, environmental improvements, and initiatives to help people connect with their surroundings. Out of 65 entrants across five categories, the SWPP stood out for its holistic approach to environmental conservation and partnership building.

Cornwall’s peatlands are recognised for their essential role in water management, carbon storage, preserving archaeology, and providing habitats for rare plants and wildlife. However, centuries of human activity have left these ecosystems severely degraded. In England, 87% of peatlands are damaged or drained due to practices such as burning, mining, and extraction, leaving only 13% of the country’s peatlands in a near-natural state.

The South West region, in particular, requires urgent attention to restore its peatlands, as they are especially vulnerable to the extremes of drought and heavy rainfall caused by climate change. With funding from Natural England’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, South West Water, Duchy of Cornwall, National Trust, Environment Agency, and Cornwall Council, the SWPP is spearheading efforts to block erosion gullies, slow water flow and create the conditions for further carbon-rich peat to form.

The Cornwall Sustainability Awards praised the SWPP’s holistic approach, noting that the partnership involves a wide range of stakeholders including funders, contractors, farmers, charities, and volunteers.

Carolyn Cadman, Director of Natural Resources at South West Water, lead partner of the SWPP, said: “We’re proud to be collaborating with other like-minded organisations, landowners and farmers to restore our damaged peatlands. Since 2020, the partnership has started the restoration process on 1,630 hectares of peatland, the equivalent of almost 2,300 football pitches, which will benefit wildlife, the environment and water quality for years to come.”

The South West Peatland Partnership (SWPP) is actively engaged in restoring over 2,000 hectares of dried and degrading peatland across Dartmoor, Exmoor, and Cornwall, with the aim of benefiting wildlife, waterways, the local historic environment, people, and the climate.

The SWPP’s peatland restoration work is funded by Natural England’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant scheme (NCPGS) with significant additional funding from South West Water, the Duchy of Cornwall, the National Trust, Environment Agency and Cornwall Council, with support in kind coming from many other vital partners involved in the project.

Cornwall Sustainability Awards, Environmental Growth Trophy sponsor is Local Investment in Nature Cornwall (LINC). For more information on the awards and other category nominees and winners, visit: Home - Cornwall Sustainability Awards.

For more information on the South West Peatland Partnership’s work, please contact Justine Read, SWPP Communications officer on jjread@southwestwater.co.uk.