Why do we use helicopters?

Accessing remote areas

Our restoration sites are often located in remote areas that are difficult to access with conventional vehicles due to the rough, boggy terrain. Helicopters provide a way to transport materials like coir rolls, stones and timber used for building dams, to sites that would otherwise be really complicated to reach.

Minimal ground disturbances

Peatlands are fragile environments where ground vehicles can cause significant damage by compacting the soil, disrupting water flow, and degrading the ecosystem. Helicopters allow us to avoid damaging the peat surface, as no heavy vehicles or machinery are required. Where possible, we tend to choose hard-standing areas like quarries for the airlifting location to minimise any landscape damage. The helicopter will not land directly on the peat bog as it will only transport material from the airlifting location to the top of the fell near to where the restoration is happening.

Any disturbances to the local wildlife from the helicopters are only temporary, typically lasting just a few days while helicopter flights are ongoing. The noise may scare wildlife away from the immediate area, but the fell is large enough for animals to find alternative shelter.

Additionally, we notify residents when flights are near homes or buildings. However, most airlift locations are very remote, so this is usually unnecessary.

Transporting materials efficiently

Helicopters are ideal for delivering heavy materials directly to the restoration site. This means we can transport a lot of material efficiently from the bottom to the top of the hill. For example, in an average day, a helicopter can airlift between 100 and 200 tonnes of stone per day, the equivalent to 25 elephants or 200 caravans.

Airlifting is carried out by our contractors and specialist helicopter companies who are extremely skilled at dropping the materials in exactly the right place.

Speeding up restoration

Using helicopters can significantly speed up restoration projects by reducing the time and effort it would take to transport materials manually or through other means. This is particularly useful in large-scale projects where timing is critical, for example, before the onset of certain weather conditions that could make restoration harder.

Reducing carbon emissions

While it might seem counterintuitive to use helicopters for peatland restoration, it helps us to reduce carbon emissions in the longer term. Damaged peatlands release large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane, contributing to climate change. In contrast, when we use helicopters as part of the overall restoration programme, we can quickly return the peatland to a healthier state, restoring its natural ability to store carbon. The long-term benefits of the peatland restoration work will outweigh the short-term effects of the carbon emissions released by helicopters.