MoorLIFE 2020 conservation works

MoorLIFE 2020 conservation

Our ambitious programme of conservation work aims to improve the condition of blanket bog at a landscape scale.

Under the MoorLIFE2020 Project, we are:

stabilising and revegetating half a square km of bare peat to stop erosion
installing 15,000 mini-dams in drainage channels to help rewet the blanket bog
tackling areas of over-dominant plant species, like heather, by cutting dense areas on nearly square km of moorland and introducing other bog species
Planting over 2.6 million plug plants of sphagnum moss (a major component of blanket bog)
Controlling invasive species, like rhododendron
Working with land managers to share best practice

In the 2019 to 2020 works season, MoorLIFE 2020 work delivered:

1,775 bags of heather brash spread on bare peat to stabilise it
6,881 mini-dams installed
0.67 square km of cutting for sward diversification (cutting areas where one species is too dominant, usually heather, purple moor-grass and cotton grass)
9.89 square km planted with sphagnum
6.18 square km of invasive species control (cutting back plants such as rhododendron to allow native species to flourish)
0.1 square km re-vegetated (re-seeding species which thrive in blanket bog)
13,152 square metres of geo-textile laid down (geo-textile is a landscaping fabric through which seeds and plants can grow and which is completely biodegradable.)
5,696 metres of fencing constructed

Helicopter with brash bags

In the 2018 to 2019 works season, MoorLIFE 2020 work delivered:

7,836 bags of heather brash spread on bare peat to stabilise it
2,472 mini-dams installed
0.41 square km of cutting for sward diversification (cutting areas where one species is too dominant, usually heather, purple moor-grass and cotton grass)
8.29 square km planted with sphagnum
10.9 square km of invasive species control (cutting back plants such as rhododendron to allow native species to flourish)

Digger on the moors

MoorLife 2020: tackling bare peat

We’re tackling nearly half a square kilometre of bare peat in the South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation as part of MoorLIFE 2020’s conservation work

MoorLIFE 2020: blocking drainage channels

We’re aiming to build at least 15,000 mini dams to block 107 km of drainage channels

MoorLIFE 2020: cutting to reduce dominant plant species

We’re cutting dense patches of heather, cotton grass and purple moor grass to allow a mixture of other species to return, making for a healthier mix of moorland plants

MoorLIFE 2020 sphagnum planting

We have planted over 2.6 million sphagnum plug plants as part of MoorLIFE 2020

Guidance for land managers

We’ve held 16 events to discuss best practice and share ideas with land managers, with a total attendance of over 450 people

Over the life of the project, sphagnum moss will be reintroduced to over 22 square km of the Peak District National Park and South Pennines, with over 2.6 million plugs planted

MoorLIFE 2020 conservation works