Where sites are on open-access land, the area remains open to all. However, if you’re planning on visiting these areas please do not approach machinery, and follow signage or contractor advice to safely enjoy the landscape whilst the restoration work takes place.

Temporary fencing is sometimes created as part of works. These will remain in place with access features to allow the trees to fully establish and provide shelter for livestock, and contribute to trapping sediment, stabilizing the edges of eroding peat faces and slowing the flow of water.

Fencing and tree planting plans are fully consulted on and approved by the authorities needed to give it approval which, depending on the moor, may include Natural England, SSSI consent and Habitats Regulations Assessment, landowner consent, and further consultation with partners such as the RSPB, Historic England, farmers, representatives from the Dartmoor Commons Council and fulfilling requirements under the Commons Act 2006.

Research by the University of Exeter found only 1% of Dartmoor’s peatland area is still functionally intact blanket bog, while much of the remainder damaged by drainage, cutting, drying and erosion*. This is seen across the UK’s South West, from West Penwith to Bodmin Moor and Exmoor. You can read more about some of the ways people have used peatlands throughout history at this link here.

Walking across areas of dried and degraded peatlands, you will notice the lack of water on site, less diversity in wildlife and plant species, and areas of peatland that are clearly crumbling and eroding. Out of sight are the negative impacts of carbon being released as peat dries, and downstream impacts on waterways from rapid runoff.

Restoring the nation’s peatlands is a key part of the UK Government’s 25-year Environment Plan.

*Gatis, N. et al. Mapping upland peat depth using airborne radiometric and LIDAR survey data. Geoderma 335. 78-87 (2019)

Monitoring has always underpinned our restoration work., in order to assess the success of peatland restoration methods and truly map its recovery trajectory. That’s why monitoring is undertaken pre-, during and post-restoration works in collaboration with SWPP partners to quantify and better understand peatland restoration techniques.

The type of monitoring undertaken at each site will vary depending on restoration techniques, but most sites will have some combination of hydrology, vegetation survey, peat depth measurements & fixed point photos collected. All sites are also surveyed by our Historic Environment officers to assess the historic and archaeological features and provide advice.

Areas of monitoring include:

• Hydrology: Water quality, water levels in peat and flow off the area

• Vegetation surveys and peat depth: Assessing habitat change and peatland trajectory

• Historic Environment: Understanding past management and preservation of historic and archaeological features

• Agriculture: Understanding any impacts on livestock, management including grazing and farmer access routes

• Landscape and features: Capturing these by fixed-point photos and drones to record any change

• Greenhouse gases: Carbon storage and sequestration and methane flux

• Biodiversity: Birds, dragonflies, mammals, aquatic invertebrates and other wildlife

The peatlands of the UK’s South West are incredibly rich and varied in their historic environment and archaeology. As a partnership, one of our core aims is to protect, and increase knowledge of, these features. Our team of Historic Environment Officers are integral in the entire process of restoration works from start to finish.

Using LIDAR, historic records, aerial images, site visits and ground-truthing assessments, the past of peatlands is put at the forefront at all steps of restoration. This includes anything from ensuring standing stones are excluded from areas of ditch blocking to minimising the impact of machinery on 16th century tin streaming works.

Part of this work to protect and preserve has involved the subsequent enhancement of our understanding of the historic environment through additions to the historic record, paleoecological research and excavation.

Read A day in the life of a SWPP Historic Environment Officer at this link here.

A key part of the SWPP is working closely with farmers and commoners to understand traditional methods of managing peatlands and how they themselves want to see the landscape shaped over the coming years for the benefit of people, livestock, wildlife and the planet.

Representatives from the farming community sit on local advisory groups within the SWPP and are engaged with restoration planning consultation before works begin. Where possible, SWPP also supports farmers in their involvement in agri-environment schemes.

SWPP invests in a range of monitoring methods to survey the peatlands and to better understand how people and livestock interact with areas before, during and after restoration, assessing any impact on livestock or farmer acccess routes across the landscape. You can read more about one collaborative monitoring approach at this link here.

The SWPP is funded by Natural England’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant scheme (NCPGS) with additional funding from South West Water, the Duchy of Cornwall, Environment Agency and the National Trust with support in kind coming from many other partners involved in the project.

Staff working for the SWPP are employed by South West Water, Dartmoor National Park Authority and National Trust.

You can see a full list of our partners at this link here.

We’re have over 100 volunteers working with SWPP year-round on everything from dragonfly surveys to sphagnum scattering, historic research to restoration maintenance. If you’d like to learn new skills and help make a positive difference to the future of the South West peatlands, please take a look at our volunteering page or drop us an email, we’d love to chat.

If you’re a farmer or landowner and would like to discuss the potential of your peatlands for restoration, or if you’re a contractor interested in carrying out restoration works, please feel free to contact us using the form below.