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People walking down a boardwalk at the 2019 conference Cuilcagh Field Visit

Field visit to Cuilcagh at the 2019 IUCN UK Peatland Programme Conference. Credit Dana Thomas

Conference 2019

1-3 October 2019

Belfast

This, the 9th in our conference series, celebrated the 10th year of the IUCN UK Peatland Programme partnership. A huge amount has been achieved by the UK peatland community over the last 10 years. There is a growing appreciation of the vital role peatlands play in addressing the climate change and biodiversity crises we now face – investing in peatland health is investing in the future.

This year's conference included peatland field trips, a formal networking evening at Stormont Parliament Buildings sponsored by Cathal Boylan, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Environment, Energy & Climate and Pam Cameron, Democratic Unionist Party and poster exhibition..  

221 local, national and international delegates and volunteers from across sectors came together over 3 days to explore themes including:

  • UK peatlands in an international context
  • Progress made towards UK Peatland Strategy goals
  • Update on key peatland topics: Commission of Inquiry
  • Peatlands and Climate Change
  • Natural Capital & Innovative Investment
  • Evidence & priority research needs and break-throughs
  • Building support for Peatland Protection & Restoration
  • Restoration challenges, new developments & best practice.

With investing in the future in mind, over the three days the conference highlighted progress made towards UK Peatland Strategy goals within an the international context as well as sharing emerging evidence, including reviews of key topics and innovative investment opportunities. Discussions were facilitated on current challenges and new ideas around: peatland restoration; prioritising research and monitoring and engaging with key stakeholders both strategically and on the ground.

Bird's eye view of 2019 conference poster session

Credit Emma HInchliffe

Day 1 speaker presentations

Over 200 delegates joined us for the conference opening address which was kindly provided by Sandeep Sengupta, Global Coordinator of IUCN's Climate Change Portfolio, Global Policy & Programme Group with an introduction to the pivotal role peatlands play in addressing climate change, and a welcome from our hosts provided by Helen Anderson, Director of Natural Environment Division, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). 

An international perspective

This session shared progress from the Global Peatlands Initiative and partners, including monitoring of IUCN Resolution 43. 

Conference 2019 - Day 1 Dianna Kopansky video (https://youtu.be/EFltefm4WrQ?si=_xyS4efUecEqs0Zp)

UK Strategy progress

This session shared updates from the four countries on delivery of the UK Peatland Strategy. 

Commission of Inquiry update

An introduction to the Commission of Inquiry process and overview of the key topics under review:

Lowland peatlands & wet agriculture

Climate change, peatlands and greenhouse gas accounting

Peatland funding and finance news

A man at a lectern speaking at the 2019 IUCN UK Peatland Programme conference

Credit Emma Hinchliffe

Day 3 discussions

Peatland Restoration - emerging ideas and current challenges

A: Problems, potential and best practice? Peatland archaeology, heritage and related issues

In this session delegates were encouraged to share their experiences and knowledge of archaeology, heritage and related issues in the context of peatland conservation and restoration programmes.

 

B: Approaches to vegetation cutting for conservation management purposes.

This session explored the use of vegetation cutting as a peatland restoration tool - promoting

discussion around the scenarios and peatland habitats in which vegetation cutting may be used to

achieve restoration goals and presented new technical approaches, knowledge gaps and areas for

development.



C: The role of the peatland restoration community in going peat-free

This session shared experiences from both peatland restoration partnerships who have adopted

peat-free purchasing policies - excercising their purchasing power to reduce demand for horticultural

products grown in peat, as well as the innovations and challenges associated with supplying

peat-free peatland plants for landscape scale restoration.

 

D: Restoration of milled peat sites

This session discussed the successes, challenges and need to restore peat extraction sites.

Prioritising monitoring, research and evidence

A: Peatland condition assessment and monitoring

This session discussed ways of evaluating peatland condition from low-tech solutions to virtual reality (VR) visualisations.

 

B: Peatland Exposure to Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition

This session discussed researching ecosystem sensitivity, response and recovery of peatland habitats exposed to atmospheirc nitrogen deposition.



C: Filling evidence gaps to inform sustainable management.

This session introduced a research and monitoring initiative in Wales that aims to more effectively

and efficiently fill priority evidence gaps in the sustainable management of Welsh peatlands. Delegates were encouraged to help develop and deliver this initiative by sharing their experiences, feedback, ideas and opportunities.

 

D: Demonstrating ecological restoration of recovering peatland sites.

This session shared evidence from long term research and monitoring of peatland restoration sites.

Engaging with key stakeholders at a practical and policy level

A: Bringing peat to broad audiences


B: Implementing policy and acknowledging international significance across peatland habitats.


C: Community driven peatland restoration and engagment

 

D: Engaging land managers in practical restoration - Using the Peatland Code to access new
funding streams. 

This session highlighted that real progress is being made with putting the Peatland Code into practice across the UK, although its not without its difficulties! The Welsh Peatlands Sustainable Management Scheme and Pennine PeatLIFE projects shared their experiences so far, and its clear that common challenges are being encountered along the way. This presents an opportunity for developing common solutions, possibly even an improved version of the Code, to help leverage the investment that UK peatlands so desperately need.
Chair: Tim Thom, Pennine PeatLIFE

Poster session

The Poster Exhibition evening welcomed 36 poster presentations and 14 exhibition stands to share knowledge, experience, new findings, tried and tested techniques and novel approaches to peatland research, policy and practice. 

Posters included:

The UK is a global leader in peatland restoration. This is only made possible by the enthusiasm and

dedication of hundreds of individuals, whether paid staff or volunteers; NGO, Government, academic,

business or private land manager. We would like to commend the whole peatland community and

particularly the partnerships that drive this work, restoring and protecting peatlands for future generations.

The 2019 IUCN UK Peatland Programme conference was delivered in partnership with DAERA, Pennine PeatLIFE, Northern Ireland Water. It was kindly sponsored by RPS and Salix River and Wetland Services Ltd. It was supported by Ulster Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, The Living Bog, Beadamoss, Visit Belfast and Scottish Wildlife Trust.