Work has started on an initiative to restore 435 hectares, equivalent to 1,077 acres, of damaged peatland in Skiddaw Forest. The Cumbria Wildlife Trust is leading the restoration efforts, which also include repairing a six-kilometer, or 3.7-mile, boundary fence.
Environmental and Wildlife Benefits
The forest holds one of the largest continuous expanses of blanket bog in the Lake District, serving as a massive carbon store. Susie Webb, the peatland team manager for the trust, explained that restoring the area will slow water flow from the fells to protect downstream communities from flooding while aiding local wildlife.
Webb added that the project should increase populations of specialist plants like sphagnum mosses and sundews, alongside higher numbers of dragonflies. Furthermore, ground-nesting birds such as snipe will thrive on the rewetted moorlands, marshes, and wet grasslands.
The restoration work is scheduled to take between three and four months to complete. Public access to Skiddaw Forest will remain unaffected throughout the duration of the project.
