Restoring vital peatlands project wins award for nature protection in National Parks 

Restoring vital peatlands project wins award for nature protection in National Parks 

The South West Peatland Partnership (SWPP) has received a prestigious award for their ongoing work to restore vital peatland habitat and protect nature in Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks.  

On Wednesday, 12th July, SWPP attended the House of Commons for an award ceremony hosted by the Campaign For National Parks and received the National Park Nature Award, sponsored by WWF-UK and presented by Landscape Minister Trudy Harrison.  

Morag Angus, SWPP Manager said of the win:   

 “On behalf of the whole partnership and everyone who’s been working for hours and hours, and years and years behind the scenes, it’s fantastic to get this award and get the recognition for peatlands in National Parks. This work would not be possible without the collaborative efforts of businesses, landowners, charities, farmers and commoners working together across Dartmoor and Exmoor to leave peatlands in a better condition for people, wildlife and the planet.”  

Peatlands are vital for their role in carbon storage, water quality, archaeology, wildlife and plant habitat, and spaces for grazing livestock and recreation. Despite covering only 3% of the world’s land surface, peatlands contain a huge 30% of global soil carbon, twice the amount found in Earth’s forests.  

However, 87% of peatlands are dried or degraded due to years of draining, burning, mining or extraction (England Peat Action Plan, 2021). University of Exeter research estimates that less than 1% of Dartmoor’s blanket bog is still functionally intact (Mires on the Moors, Science and Evidence Report, 2020).  Through restoration, the SWPP is working to prevent 652,625 tonnes of CO2 equivalent from being released as peatlands continue to degrade.  

Morag Added:   

“In the UK’s South West, our peatlands are right at the forefront of climate change. Drying out has left them releasing carbon into the atmosphere and waterways, rather than being a key store of this greenhouse gas. By working together in partnership, we’re finding the best ways to keep this carbon in the ground and provide spaces for nature to thrive. Restoration works begin again in August 2023 for the winter season, so keep an eye out for us on the moors as we continue to help the future survival of these ecosystems, whilst ensuring that they act as archives for our important cultural past.”  

The South West Peatland Partnership is a collaborative project working to restore over 2,600 hectares of dried and degraded peatland across Exmoor, Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor and West Penwith before 2025. The works taking place involve blocking erosion gullies, drainage channels and peat cuttings, aiming to keep water in the landscape, raise the water table and prevent further erosion to the peat, diversify wildlife habitat and reduce water runoff from the moors.   

Wesley Smyth of Natural England said of the win: “Natural England is a proud and supportive partner of the South West Peatland Partnership. The SWPP received £9 million of funding from Natural England’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme (NCPGS) for the work for a four-year project. Restoring our degraded peatlands is important for everyone; they store carbon, help regulate river flows and are home to some of the most threatened wildlife in south west England.  It’s fantastic to see the progress made so far and we endorse the partnership‘s ambitions for restoring more of our precious peatlands.” 

Carolyn Cadman, Director of Natural Resources at South West Water, commented: “Up to 70% of UK drinking water is sourced from catchments dominated by peatland habitat. South West Water is proud to be a key partner in the award-winning South West Peatland Partnership's work by investing in our region's peatlands for our customers and the environment, helping to slow the flow of water from upland areas which improves water quality and provides spaces for wildlife to thrive.” 

Tom Stratton, Land Steward for the Duchy of Cornwall in Devon, shared: “The Duchy is delighted to support this initiative and that it has been recognised by the Campaign for National Parks.  The initiative brings together a diverse range of partners who have worked hard to bring together the interests of conservation, farming and historic environment to achieve restoration of an extensive area of deep peat, with attendant benefits to carbon reduction and biodiversity enhancement.” 

The National Trust said: “We’re really pleased to be involved in this partnership, and to see the hard work delivering the peatland project get this recognition. It’s a great example of how multiple organisations pulling together to protect our vital peatland can bring such great impact on sites across Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks.” 

The Campaign for National Parks, hosts of the Awards, congratulated the work being done across Exmoor, Dartmoor and Cornwall, and said: “The South West Peatland Partnership showed a true dedication to landscape scale nature recovery which is so vital in tackling the climate crisis. The collaborative effort is truly inspiring and they are very deserving of the National Park Nature Award. We can’t wait to see the progress the Partnership will continue to make.”