IUCN UK Peatland Programme

As COP16 progresses in Colombia, thousands of people from 196 countries are discussing progress against the ambitious targets agreed at COP15 in 2022. We remain hopeful that a clear plan for implementation will be put in place by the UK government - one that considers land use across sectors and the role of nature finance. Biodiversity is the planet's life support system and every single one of us is dependent on the ecosystem services that biodiversity provides. Throughout 2024, the IUCN UK Peatland Programme has been working to raise awareness of peatland biodiversity and its importance in ecosystem function, restoration and community engagement. Find out more: 👉 Our latest webinar on species reintroductions is available on our YouTube channel now and introduces how, where and why peatlands are contributing to the goals of COP16: https://bit.ly/3AjvIDu. 👉 Catch up on our webinar on biodiversity measurement: https://bit.ly/4eBOzs0. 👉 Learn about weird and wonderful peatland biodiversity and why it matters on the biodiversity pages of our website: https://bit.ly/4dUn8sR. #COP16 #biodiversity #PeatlandsMatter

A great opportunity to find out about ongoing work to increase the accessibility and uptake of nature finance, including the IUCN UK Peatland Programme's Peatland Code. #NatureFinance24 #PeatlandCode #WoodlandCarbonCode Scottish Forestry NatureScot

Tickets are now on sale for Fenland SOIL's January conference and the deadline for abstracts is 8th November. This is an important opportunity to discuss developments in sustainable and adaptive management of lowland agricultural peat soils and the financial support mechanisms necessary to make transition possible for rural communities. We explore these issues in our 'Peatlands and Agriculture Issues Brief', which might inspire you to get your tickets 👉 https://lnkd.in/gAAF2sVj #PeatlandsMatter #paludiculture #sustainablefarming

Great to see our Eyes on the Bog Fund being put to good use by Cumbria Peat Partnership, with a little help from a four-legged volunteer. They're working hard to increase public awareness of long-term #peatland monitoring, which is critical in helping us understand the health of our peatlands and the impact of restoration efforts. This year, the IUCN UK Peatland Programme is funding seven projects across five organisations to expand their Eyes on the Bog monitoring, share the data generated and support community engagement with peatlands. South West Peatland Partnership, Yorkshire Peat Partnership, the National Trust, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Cumbria Peat Partnership are all doing an incredible job with their monitoring programmes and engaging an army of dedicated volunteers. To find out more about Eyes on the Bog and how you can get involved, visit our dedicated webpage 👉 https://lnkd.in/eiX-p7pQ. #PeatlandsMatter #EyesontheBog #CitizenScience #monitoring #volunteering

Our Director, Emma, and Peatland Code Officer, Ed, are in Durham this week at the annual Eurosite - the European Land Conservation Network meeting. looking forward to Day 2 and hearing more about European #peatland policy innovation and getting out onto a #bog on Thursday.

The IUCN UK Peatland Programme and Environment Agency are delighted to announce a series of workshops for 2025 aimed at highlighting the importance of the water environment within the #peatland sector, and to bring together researchers, practitioners and the water industry. We are now seeking speakers for the first seminar on 29th January, 'Peatlands and Water Quality'. Peatland systems offer significant value to the climate, environment and society. In the water environment, healthy, functioning peatlands play a key role in enhancing water quality and securing drinking water supplies. They also support flood protection, drought risk amelioration and biodiversity. Throughout the first half of 2025 we are organising a series of four, two-hour online seminars with four speakers allocated 20 minutes each followed by a discussion session where participants can ask the presenters questions on their research or case studies.   Our first call for the seminar in January titled ‘Peatlands and Water Quality’ is now open and closes on 4th December. Visit our website to find out more, save the dates and submit your proposal: https://bit.ly/4fcDi1z. #waterquality #knowledgesharing #PeatlandsMatter Image credit: Peter Graham (1866), 'Spate in The Highlands'

Did you know the IUCN UK Peatland Programme website is a great place to find #peatland-focused events? There's still time to sign up for tomorrow's webinar on species reintroductions, featuring People's Trust for Endangered Species, Moors for the Future Partnership, Citizen Zoo and Joshua Styles MCIEEM. There's also a great selection coming up over the next few months, including the latest webinars from Fens East Peat Partnership and Natural England, showcasing peatland restoration in Cambridgeshire, Somerset and Shropshire. If you're looking for an in-person event with a creative twist, then RE-PEAT's Peat-Fest is for you, with stages in Oxford (19th October) and London (26th October). We're pleased to see the focus on #paludiculture and lowland agricultural peat, with conferences, workshops and symposia from organisations including Harper Adams University and Fenland SOIL. Find out more and sign up now 👉 https://bit.ly/peatevents. And here are some great pictures from the best peatland event of the year, #PeatConf24. Image credits: Caroline Vitzthum, Jane Akerman and Jamie Walker.

If anyone needs a Monday pick-me-up, why not spend a few minutes watching this brilliant video from The Lost Peatlands Partnership Project, created by primary school children to share the importance of #peatlands. Watch the video: https://lnkd.in/eHTAzYya Find out more about the engagement project on the news pages of our website: https://bit.ly/4h0oy7H The Lost Peatlands Partnership Project is another excellent example of collaboration for peatlands between Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales, Swansea University and Coed Lleol. #PeatlandsMatter #CommunityEducation #PowerofthePeatbogs

It's wonderful to see a #peatland initiative receiving well-deserved recognition for their holistic approach to landscape-scale restoration. South West Peatland Partnership's consideration of not just ecological processes, but the historic environment and contemporary social and economic contexts is progressive and needed. 🎉 Congratulations to such a dedicated, hardworking and inspiring team!

📢 Don't forget to sign up to our latest free webinar on Thursday 17th October from 10am - 12pm GMT! We'll introduce IUCN guidance on the justification, design and implementation of conservation translocations and present a range of examples of how they are being applied to bring back #peatland species, from plants to invertebrates. Learn about the role of reintroducing Sphagnum in #peatland restoration and associated reserach, and how #citizen keepers are helping the rare and beautiful large marsh grasshopper. Find out more and sign up via the events page on our website: https://bit.ly/4eHs7Oq. Catch up on our previous 'Measuring Biodiversity' webinar on our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/4eBOzs0. Nida Alfulaij, People's Trust for Endangered Species, IUCN National Committee UK, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Citizen Zoo, Moors for the Future Partnership, Joshua Styles MCIEEM, Styles Ecology Ltd., IUCN Water and Wetlands, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), The Wildlife Trusts #PeatlandsMatter #Reintroductions #Biodiversity #NatureRecovery #30by30 Image credits: Stuart Green