Peat-free April

Here at the North Pennines AONB Partnership we’re supporting the Peat-Free April campaign, encouraging everyone to choose peat free for the benefit of the planet. In the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark we’re surrounded by some of the largest expanses of blanket bog in the country and we’re actively working through our peatland restoration programme to conserve and maintain them. But why are they so precious, why are we restoring them and why should everyone choose peat-free?

Does peat-free matter to me?

Peat-free April aims to encourage more people, businesses, organisations, and suppliers to go peat free, and to think about peat-use related products in their lives. Most peat found in compost in the UK comes from peat extraction sites elsewhere in Europe, but we still have a responsibility to protect these important habitats from problems that come from historic mismanagement. We think peat-free matters, and that globally it is important to protect our peatlands. We also hope that the UK can lead the way in developing a thriving and sustainable horticultural industry based on sustainable, peat-free growing and supply.

Why should we look after our peatlands?

Peatlands are truly special habitats, and the UK has them in abundance. Covering around 12% of the UK land area, peatlands are managed for farming, sport and nature reserves and include some of the UK’s most important protected areas. 27% of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is peatland (specifically upland blanket bog). Peatland habitats are special because they:

• provide over a quarter of UK drinking water
• form some of the UK’s most extensive wild and connected habitats, home to rare and endangered wildlife
• offer recreational spaces with rich natural and cultural heritage
• support local employment through farming, shooting, tourism and conservation jobs to name a few
• contribute to global climate regulation through carbon storage, storing twice as much carbon as the world’s forests
• slow the flow of water from the fells, mitigating flooding many miles downstream in towns and cities

In the UK 80% of peatlands have been modified because of past and present management. Previous management largely aimed to drain peatlands for agricultural land following World War II, but there have been impacts from commercial forestry, burning and grazing management, construction of infrastructure and commercial peat extraction for horticulture.

What happens when peatlands are damaged and degraded?

• there are higher costs associated with water treatment, when water companies have to extract the dissolved organic carbon to clean up peaty, brown water
• habitats become fragmented and ecological connectivity is lost, which impacts peat dependent species
• land managers face greater challenges in using the land for livestock or other purposes
• damaged peatlands release carbon into the atmosphere, and they are responsible for 5% of annual human-induced CO² emissions (more than the entire aviation and shopping industry combined)

Why do some people believe peat is a great growing medium?

The structure and composition of peat means it holds a lot of water, is typically acidic and provides a good root structure. It is used for plants that need a lot of moisture and don’t mind the acidic conditions. However, peat soil compacts more easily than other soils, creating anaerobic conditions which few plants will thrive in. Although peat-containing soils have some benefits, a quality compost made with a mixture of brown, green and high nitrogen materials will be better for growing in most cases and is undeniably more sustainable than extracting peat from delicate ecosystems.

What is being done about damaged peatlands in the North Pennines AONB?

Our peatland restoration programme aims to conserve and enhance the internationally important peatland resource within the North Pennines AONB. We also work in partnership to promote peatland conservation at local, national and international levels.

For more information visit: North Pennines AONB Partnership peatland programme web pages