Planting on damaged peatland at Armboth Fell will help tackle climate change and restore habitat for wildlife

Planting on damaged peatland at Armboth Fell will help tackle climate change and restore habitat for wildlife - Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Two people squatting down working on planting on peatland with a cloudy sky in the background — Around 26,000 plug plants have been planted at Armboth Fell as part of a peatland restoration programme © Cumbria Wildlife Trust

26,000 plants, including cottongrass and heather, have been planted on Armboth Fell, to help repair damaged peatlands and store CO2

“It’s crucial that we repair damaged peatland, so that it can return to a more natural state of capturing and storing CO2 and holding back water.” Sean Prokopiw, Peatland Restoration Officer, Cumbria Wildlife Trust

A team of four people from Terra Firma Environmental Ltd have spent a week planting shrubs and cottongrasses by hand on peatland at Armboth Fell near Thirlmere. This marked the end of the latest phase of a major peatland restoration project that we working on in partnership with the National Trust, United Utilities, Natural England and Fix the Fells. We are restoring important peat habitat on Armboth Fell, which has been damaged by years of recreational and grazing pressures.

Around 26,000 plants were all planted by hand, including cottongrass (also known as bog cotton) and dwarf shrubs such as common heather, bilberry and crowberry. The aim is to give the dried-out areas of peatland the best chance of recovery. By covering them with vegetation, the roots will stabilise the damaged peat and allow them to retain more water.