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Welsh 'Bogfather' wins this year's Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award

The 2026 Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award, created by Welsh fused glass artist Natalie Thomas and awarded to Dr Peter Jones MBE.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Peatland Specialist, Dr Peter Jones MBE, has been presented with a prestigious award at the IUCN UK Peatland Programme annual conference.

The highly regarded Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award was presented to Dr Jones at the IUCN UK Peatland Programme’s ‘Peatlands Under Pressure’ conference, 9-11 June 2026.

The award is given in honour of renowned peatland scientist Richard Lindsay’s outstanding legacy of work for peatlands. It is awarded annually to recipients from anywhere across the UK whose outstanding dedication and passion for peatlands deserves to be recognised.

Currently Dr Jones leads on Welsh peatland policy and casework to ensure peatlands remain protected from the pressures of developments. He also provides strategic input UK-wide through the IUCN, Defra and other peatland initiatives. Dr Jones provides leadership in Wales Peatland Action (WPA) partnership groups, such as on Evidence and Monitoring, and his expertise is highly valued in the WPA Strategic Partners and Practitioners groups.

He was nominated by Mannon Lewis, NRW’s Strategic Projects lead for the National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP), who said:

Pete has consistently been at the fore in the UK providing peatland expertise and representing Welsh peatland issues, raising awareness that healthy peatlands contribute to ecosystem resilience, biodiversity, carbon storage, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, water flow containment and wildfire suppression.
Mannon Lewis stood at a lectern with Peter Jones behind her as she reads his nomination.

Natural Resources Wales' Mannon Lewis presenting the Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award to Dr Peter Jones MBE. Credit: Renée Kerkvliet-Hermans.

Emma Hinchliffe, Director of the IUCN UK Peatland Programme said:

Known as the Welsh ‘Bogfather’, and awarded an MBE in recognition, Pete’s dedication has single-handedly inspired a programme of action, unparalleled by anyone else in Wales. Due to his sustained passion, peatlands have moved from being a Cinderella habitat, overlooked and under-appreciated, to centre stage of Wales’ nature-based solutions.
Peter Jones and Richard Lindsay kneeling on a grassy peatland looking at equipment.

Peter Jones in the field with Richard Lindsay.

Ceri Davies, NRW Chief Executive said:

This award is a great honour for one of our team. NRW prides itself on its specialists and subject experts, and Dr Peter Jones represents the best that NRW offers in his service to the environment and Wales. We warmly congratulate him on his award and thank him for years of dedicated service to the peatlands of Wales through his work at NRW.
Peter Jones holding a glass award, surrounded by smiling colleagues.

Dr Peter Jones with colleagues from Welsh government and Natural Resources Wales' National Peatland Action Programme. Credit: Tanja Brueckmann-Rath.

Dr Peter Jones, Senior Specialist Advisor for Peatlands at NRW/NPAP, showing surprise and gratitude at the ceremony, said afterwards:

I feel so honoured to receive the prestigious Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award. This is a great honour to have been nominated and awarded by my peers, and especially in the name of Richard Lindsay whom I hold in the highest esteem. We in the peatland profession are at the forefront of tackling the climate and nature emergencies for the benefit of future generations.
I hope future generations can reflect positively on the impact people like Richard Lindsay has made, as well as my fellow nominees, and all of the highly dedicated peatland professionals who the IUCN UK Peatland Programme gathered together at this conference.
Round glass plate with a peatland scene in a wooden holder.

The 2026 Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award, awarded to Dr Peter Jones MBE. Credit: Tanja Brueckmann-Rath.

 

NPAP is funded by Welsh Government, and managed by NRW, to lead on the peatland restoration work in Wales, through the Wales Peatland Action partnership. It delivered ahead of government targets in 2020-2025 and has been set ambitious targets to triple the restoration delivery in its 2025-2030 Plan.  

The IUCN UK Peatland Programme promotes peatland restoration in the UK and advocates the multiple benefits of peatlands through partnerships, strong science, sound policy and effective practice. Over 400 delegates attended the IUCN’s three-day conference, online and in person at the University of Swansea.

This year’s award included a glass artwork plate of peatland by Natalie Thomas and was sponsored by BeadaMoss.

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