Wildscapes

Peatlands are the single largest carbon reserve in the UK. As such, moorland restoration is extremely important for carbon storage. Joe Glentworth from Wildscapes, gives an overview of a typical day doing valuable work in preventing further erosion of peat moorland and encouraging heather regeneration.

The day normally starts around 7am when we meet at our tool store, just outside the city centre.  The land management team – usually five of us – then jump into our 4x4 (the only vehicle suitable for accessing the harsh moorland conditions) and set off for the 50 minute drive to Bleaklow. 

We leave the vehicle alongside Stable Clough , which overlooks the Woodhead Reservoir.  Our first job is to make sure we are completely prepared for the day ahead.  Dress is very important – whatever the weather when you set off, we have to make sure that we have appropriate waterproofs, steel toe-capped boots, gloves, hats, buffs, first aid kits and bothy bags to keep us as warm and dry as possible during the working day – the weather on top of Bleaklow can be completely different to even a couple hundred feet below.  It is often the case that we leave a warm and sunny Sheffield , only to be greeted by harsh hail, wind and mist at the top of Shining Clough. If the conditions are really bad it can be dangers to drive on the off road track. Therefore thoroughly checking the weather forecast before setting off is paramount, and we must always be on guard for any sudden changes in conditions when working. We also have to ensure that we take all our tools and equipment with us, as well as our lunch and refreshments for throughout the day.

This is the second season that we have been working on the Moors for the Future project, after previously working on Kinder Scout and Saddleworth Moor. The Moors for the Future project is a collaborative initiative  between the Peak District National Park Authority, The National Trust, The RSPB, Natural England focusing on the internationally important moors in the Peak District and South Pennines  .

Erosion of heather has occurred on Bleaklow due to a combination of reasons, although the severe winds characteristic of this elevated location (2,000 foot above sea level) have exacerbated the situation. This type of window erosion generally occurs in the gullies, which are either formed naturally by running water eroding easily into the peat (which can be up to 3 metres depth in place), or have been dug many decades ago to aid drainage. These gullies result in channeling of the wind making it extremely difficult for delicate heather seeds to gain a foothold.

The work we do involves laying geo-textile material on the peat gullies to stabilise and preserve the peat and encourage heather spread and growth.  The material has an open weave structure that is completely biodegradable within 2-3 years, so is ideally suited to the purpose.  The geo-textile bales are already in place, as they were flown and dropped on the moorland at the start of the project by helicopter. In each bale there are 8 cuts.  We generally get through two bales per day, with each geo-textile cut being 80 metres in length and around 1m wide.   The job we do involves cutting the geo-textile material to size and spreading it across the peat gullies that need it most, and pinning them up close to the existing vegetation ontop of the gullies. These gullies have been carefully selected by the Moors for the Future team and we closely follow the GIS maps they have provided, which lay out which gullies need attention.

It is actually a very skilled job to decide where to position the geo-textile material to capture the wind-driven heather seed and ensuring that it is laid correctly.

Each strip of material is pinned down using pegs at around 1m on top (2m on the bottom) intervals to hold it securely in place and allow the roots of the heather plant to gain a secure foothold before the matting naturally degrades. We generally use metal pegs which also degrade quickly in the acidity of the peat. 

We normally work in teams of two, with one unrolling the material and one pegging it down.  It is a very labour intensive job and we’re ready for a break around 11am.

We normally have two short lunch stops – only around 15 minutes each, at 11am and 1pm, when we have something warm like soup, followed by sandwiches and snacks.  As the work is carried out between October and March, it is far too cold usually to sit around and enjoy the scenery and  there are very few animals which brave these conditions.  Occasionally we are joined by mountain hares , or the red grouse, both of which just bolt out of the undergrowth sometimes startling us  ( but probably not as much as we startle them).

The work has to be done at this time so it doesn’t interfere with grouse and other bird nesting seasons.  It is also very satisfying to be able to see areas where our team has laid the material over 12 months ago and already the geo-textile netting has disappeared and it is starting to grow a healthy crop of heather.

We get regular inspections from the Peak District National Park team – sometimes twice a week, just to make sure they are happy with everything. 

At 3.45pm we normally start making our way back to our vehicle, before darkness falls.  It’s not the case that there’s less to carry on the way back as any offcuts of material or other refuse has to be brought back down with us.  It can make you feel quite hot walking down the steep hills carrying so much gear and with so many layers to wear!  We rely heavily on our GPS system to tell us which way to go.  Sometimes when the weather is misty and foggy we would have no other way of knowing we are heading in the right direction – in many places our mobile phones do not work out here, so we really are reliant on it.  It’s always good to see our vehicle again and to know that’s another good day’s work completed.

There’s a real sense of satisfaction in doing a job like this.  It’s a great opportunity to be out there in the fresh air, experiencing nature at its very best and with little disturbance.  You do find you get totally engrossed in your work and probably wouldn’t even notice a passing rambler or sheep – not that there that are many in this remote area. It feels fantastic to be part of a team that is working on such a valuable moorland restoration project and to know that in years to come, I can look back and say “I did that!”.

Read more about the Moors for the Future Project