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A Day with Dom, Lancashire County Council Peatland Officer

West Pennine Moors from the air - Photo by Alex Critchley

Spend a day with Dom, the Forest of Bowland Peatland Officer. The Lancashire County Council are part of the Lancashire Peat Partnership and are working to restore upland blanket bog in the region.

Hi, my name is Phillip Gwynn, I used to be a member of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust Youth Council and now I’m studying for my Masters. As part of this back in February 2024, I had the opportunity to spend a day with the Forest of Bowland Peatland Officer, Dom Hartley, to learn all about upland peatland restoration. 

Across Lancashire, our upland blanket peat bogs have been subjected to agricultural drainage, which has resulted in the peat drying out and harmful carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere. But all is not lost and thankfully we have a number of techniques that can be used to help restore these precious peatlands. 

What is reprofiling?

Our first job was to visit Black Clough, on the West Pennine Moors near Holme Chapel, to assess and monitor the undergoing restoration work. One of the restoration methods I witnessed was re-profiling, which is undertaken from October to February to avoid the bird nesting season. This makes it challenging for contractors who are often working out in cold conditions where you are met with horizontal rain! 

Reprofiling and turving of eroding hags and gullies

Figure 1 - Reprofiling and turving of eroding hags and gullies | Credit: Phillip Gwynn

This work is necessary, however, as vertical hags (overhanging peat edges that form as a result of erosion) would otherwise continue to get worse through natural forces of water, wind, frost and desiccation. Re-profiling attempts to mimic the natural process whereby a peat collapse can sometimes create a gently sloping side, rather than a vertical face, that is then able to naturally re-vegetate. Therefore, this restoration technique provides a helping hand by creating a 33-45° slope from the top of the gully/hag edge to the base, thus reducing the surface area of bare peat, making it easier for vegetation to establish and locking in more carbon. 

Figure 2. The before and after process of grip reprofiling [1].

Figure 2 - The before and after process of grip reprofiling [1].

A helping hand: Heather Brash and Geotextiles

We also went to see work on a couple of other revegetation technique, including the use of geotextiles and the application of heather brash, which are hoped could also improve revegetation establishment. 

Figure 3. The success of applying Heather brash to bare peat within the North Pennines National Landscape [3].

Figure 3 - The success of applying Heather brash to bare peat within the North Pennines National Landscape [3].

Heather brash is essentially a layer of chopped up heather and other peatland vegetation which is spread on top of areas of bare peat to reduce peat compaction and erosion. This is usually locally sourced including a mix of heather, cotton grasses and sphagnum mosses, which is transported in bags via helicopter. Dom explained during the site visits that heather brash is used due to its improved success rate of revegetating bare peat. However, where possible, we would first use existing vegetation that is made available during the process of re-profiling to reduce the reliance on heather brash and, of course, reduce the cost. 

Where peat haggs are prominent, coir geotextile (see a video explanation below) is sometimes used to stabilise the peat before revegetation can occur. However, it can sometimes be expensive depending on the supplier. 

Conservation techniques - stabilising bare peat with geotextiles (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCbETQbzRk8)

Figure 4. Stabilising bare peat with geotextiles – explained by Moors for the Future Partnership.

Reflections

From this experience, I have seen part of the contractor process, particularly meeting potential contractors bidding for the following winter’s work. As an aspiring ecologist and site manager, it is important to understand all elements of the peatland restoration process as it is not only about delivery; you must first award work to the contractor with the best methodology before planning the delivery.   

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