It’s 15 years since the Yorkshire Peat Partnership (YPP) started restoring Yorkshire’s peatlands and what a journey it’s been! On Friday 18th October staff, volunteers and partners met in Ilkley to look back on all they’ve achieved – and it’s a lot!
Peatlands are often overlooked but they play a big role in reducing carbon emissions, improving water quality and preventing flooding. For years they were neglected but YPP has helped bring these important landscapes back to life across the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks.
The journey starts
YPP began in 2009 with a simple plan: restore as much peatland as possible. It’s hard work! By March 2024 they will have restored 46,952 hectares of peatland which is half of the total in their operational area. But it’s not just about big numbers – they’ve also secured the funding and resources to make it happen.
- £6.5 million for core costs like staff, equipment and vehicles
- £30 million for direct restoration work
- 70,825 hectares surveyed on foot
- 3.8 million plants (2 million sphagnum plugs) planted
- 3,000 km of gulleys blocked with 253,000 sediment traps
These have slowed the water flow on the fells reducing the risk of flooding downstream and helping wildlife thrive.
Not just restoration, but innovation
Peatland restoration isn’t just about planting and trapping water. YPP has been developing new techniques like their upcoming Peatfix product which will make restoration faster and more effective. These kinds of innovations are leading the way for peatland recovery projects across the UK.
Rosie Snowden, Peat Programme Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said:
“We’ve seen the rate and quality of our restoration accelerate exponentially in the last few years” she said. “It’s all down to our brilliant team and the support of our partners, funders and landowners.”
The founders’ view
Dr Tim Thom who founded YPP said:
“Peatlands were the Cinderella habitat, neglected by society despite all they do for us. 15 years on and that’s changed. Thanks to YPP peatlands are finally getting the respect they deserve and are the star of the ball”
The future
It’s not just the YPP team who are celebrating – Dr Rob Stoneman, Vice Chair of the IUCN UK Peatland Programme said: “What a magnificent achievement for everyone involved”. And with the government slowly catching up with the potential of peatland restoration there’s more to come.
