Dartmoor National Park’s Peatlands have always been intertwined with the people that live and work in the vicinity, a relationship that has stood the test of time. But recently, the strings joining us to these magical bogs have been somewhat weakened, and lots of people don’t know much about them. I’ve been exploring what brings humans and peat together, and why it’s more important now than ever.

Stepping foot on one of Dartmoor's peatland blanket bogs can be a powerful experience. Looking out over a dramatic, rolling landscape, you take your first step onto the springy sphagnum moss, feeling your foot sink slightly. Bright green tufts dot the ground before you, with the flat, squishy land stretching off into the distance. What many people don't realise is that by walking on a peat bog, you're walking on the past, the present and potentially the key to the future too. People have had a connection to Dartmoor's peat for hundreds of years, and this relationship, like all, has had its ups and downs. But increasingly, it looks like this spongy, rich ground will have a huge part to play in the longevity of those who live alongside it, whether human, plant or animal.

I've had a special connection to Dartmoor National Park for almost my entire life, which began with a love and passion for its avian residents. While I'm still a birder at heart, the Moor has done a great job at broadening my horizons, in that I am now fascinated by the entirety of its ecosystems, from its larger mammalian residents to the tiniest insects. The time I've spent hopping from tussock to tussock, often in that signature Dartmoor drizzle, with my binoculars swinging from my neck, trying not to lose my footing because I'm wearing what is probably inappropriate footwear for a bog, sticks in the memory, and I presume it will for a long time to come. 

As for their superpowers? Well, peatland may just hold the key to halting climate change, given that worldwide they hold twice as much carbon as all of the planet's forests. Despite covering just over 3% of the Earth's surface according to the IUCN UK Peatland Programme, they hold about 30% of the world's soil carbon as stated by the Global Peatlands Initiative. These figures highlight the importance of peatlands to Earth, but just how do they do it? As I’ve already mentioned the plant matter that becomes peat only partially decays and holds water to create the waterlogged anoxic conditions of the peat bog. The waterlogged environment creates conditions void of oxygen, and decomposers such as fungi and microbes can’t live in the anoxic bogs, allowing the plant matter to only partially decompose and build up to form peat.

 But the peat bogs also trap the CO₂ absorbed by these plants, and imprison it in the ground, preventing it from joining the atmosphere that's already full to the brim with greenhouse gases. So, it's quite clear that if we can keep our peatlands in good condition globally, it's possible we could limit and slow global warming. 

But that's not all this magical substance can do. What do you think peat and the Eurasian Beaver have in common? Well, they are both experts in natural flood management, with the water holding ability of partially decayed plants, in particular the multitalented sphagnum moss, able to slow the flow of rainwater from upland areas such as Dartmoor and greatly lower the risk of flooding further down the line. They also act as natural water filters, absorbing pollutants and improving water quality, as well as maintaining water supplies by staggering run-off. The problem is that, in England, 87% of peatlands are dried or damaged. Only 13% of our peatlands are in a near natural, healthy state, according to the England Peat Action Plan 2021.

So, peat does a lot for us. And on Dartmoor, communities have had a relationship with it since the dawn of time. Primarily, it has been used as a fuel, burning well even in the cold winter months. From the Bronze Age to when electricity was first brought to the Moor, it's been a popular choice to warm homes, whether a stone hut or a farmhouse. It was also used to smelt tin in Dartmoor's mining age, as peat can be turned into charcoal, or peat coke. The peat was collected, dried and then heated in a confined space, often a furnace. But peatlands, despite giving so much to those communities who lived on the moor before us, were also drained for agriculture, and this, along with the constant removal of the peat, has severely damaged Dartmoor's peatlands.

Thankfully, peat hasn't been commercially dug on Dartmoor since the 1950s. But it is still collected in the UK, although on a smaller scale compared to previous decades. However, the use of peat commercially, especially in horticulture, is being phased out gradually. A ban on UK peat retail was set to come into force in 2024; however, it didn't go ahead due to legislation not being completed before the deadline. Peat dug from the Northern Hemisphere’s globally significant bogs being used via ready-made compost mixes in British gardens has been a widespread thing for some time, thanks to its water-holding abilities helping flowerbeds flourish. It's often included in compost and soil blends, but now people are becoming more aware of the problem and buying peat-free gardening supplements. By buying compost with peat in it, you worsen the problem.

The problem is, while the complete banning of peat collecting would help the cause hugely, Britain's peatlands are still under threat, not just from commercial harvesting. When peat is damaged, dried or exposed, it releases the carbon it was storing out into the atmosphere, further fuelling global warming. And there's no worse way to do all of these things than to drain peatland for agricultural and forestry use. The IUCN UK Peatland Programme UK Peatland Strategy highlighted that an estimated 80% of UK peatlands have been damaged by drainage, agricultural intensification and unsustainable practices. The amount of CO₂ being released into the atmosphere from this is immense, and it shows the importance of these environments to the planet.

Another threat to UK peatlands is the burning of moorland, whether managed or accidental. Patches of heather, gorse and other vegetation are often burned to stimulate growth for livestock and game such as grouse. Accidental fires from cigarettes or disposable barbecues can be even worse for peatlands and their environments and can escalate quickly to wildfires that are dangerous for both nature and people. By removing vegetation and scorching the ground, the top layers of peat are exposed and quickly dehydrated, wreaking havoc on the bog. Overgrazing by livestock, in particular sheep, can also have a similar effect, removing vegetation and exposing the peat.

The actual bog can burn too. If the peat is dried by the scorching flames, there is no water to hold back the fire, and it will burn channels in the peat, drying it and releasing carbon as it digs deeper. Peat burns slowly and once ignited it’s not often obvious to the naked eye. It can go on smouldering for days, weeks or even months, damaging huge swathes of the bog. This is one of the many reasons not to damage the peatlands, as one little bit of peat in a compost bag can open up an opportunity for flames somewhere else.

So, almost all of British peatland is in need of restoration. Dartmoor is no different, and here there is a collective effort to restore not only the peatlands to full strength, but also the connection between peat and people, which it must be said has been damaged by time and advancements in technology. This has led people to no longer rely on the peat as they would have done only a couple of hundred years ago and weaken the strings that connect us to this mystical, spongy ecosystem. 2025 saw the inaugural Peat-Fest South-West, which aimed to raise awareness and foster that long-lost relationship between humans and peat bogs. It was an opportunity for people across the south-west to connect with the peatlands, running family-friendly workshops, volunteer days, creative activities and competitions, and even a young persons' manifesto. Headed up by The Art and Energy Collective alongside partners including the National Trust, RE-PEAT, Exmoor National Park, the South West Peatland Partnership and Dartmoor National Park, it has afforded an avenue for many people to develop and foster a passion for what is often seen as an obscure habitat. But as with all ecosystems, there is always more than meets the eye, and this might just apply to peatlands more than any other environment. 

Having personally done volunteer work on one of Dartmoor's peatlands with the Dartmoor Youth Rangers, it is a unique experience. Whatever the weather (in our case it was very soggy), being out in the wilderness overlooking the National Park is something else. We even got to ride offroad in the coveted Dartmoor Ranger Land Rovers, as our work site was so remote. Alongside the South West Peatland Partnership, we worked to repair peat bunds (dams of compacted peat) in order to re-wet the exposed and damaged peat, and restore it to its former boggy glory. A group of hard-working teenagers achieved a lot that day, and it provided me with a valuable insight into the daunting task of restoring blanket bogs not just on Dartmoor, but up and down the country. 

Above all, for me, peatlands are grounding, giving me a rare chance to reflect in such a busy world. There is nothing else like them on Earth, and to feel a connection to them is something uniquely special. Huge parts of our life on this planet rides on the health of our peatlands, and it's of the utmost importance that we recognise that, and learn to love them, now more than ever. Because for once, they're relying on us to pull them through a difficult time, as they have done many a time for humanity. Picture a person from 40 generations ago, sat shivering on a hillside, four stone walls their only protection from Dartmoor's howling wind. Peat burns in the fireplace, giving off warmth so that the lean figure before it can survive another night. Now we need peat for a different reason, and for us it needs to stay in the ground putting its superpowers to good use. Some gardeners might not like me saying this, but the world needs peatlands in their natural state, and right now it needs to restore its connection with the only beings that can prevent it going from carbon sink to carbon emitter. In other words, hero to zero.

Henry The Bovey Birder is 13 and a passionate birder. He loves everything nature related and lives on the edge of Dartmoor. He’s an active Dartmoor Youth Ranger and hopes to hope to have a career in conservation/research or something ornithology related when he’s older. Read more from The Bovey Birder on Henry's website or follow his Instagram account: The Bovey Birder.