30/10/26 - Humberhead Peatlands return visit

Earlier in the year in spring, some of our LDV NNR volunteers travelled away from the Lower Derwent Valley towards Doncaster, where they joined up with staff from the ‘Life’ project at Humberhead Peatlands NNR at Thorne Moors. 

Over the course of just one day, the team planted over 7,000 Cotton Grass plugs on areas of bare peat as part of the first stage of peatland restoration, where Cotton Grass is used to plug bare, wet, or previously drained peatlands. The plugs were planted in a diamond-shaped pattern, with the plan being for Sphagnum plugs to be planted in the centre of the area later in the year, and for the Cotton Grass to then shelter the Sphagnum. 

Since the initial task back in April the months have flown by, and at the beginning of October it was time for our team to return to help plant the Sphagnum plugs amongst the Cotton Grass. Over 400 plus were planted, which will help the peatlands to recover – encouraging the return of bog-forming vegetation, and in doing so turning carbon-emitting bare peat back into a carbon-capturing sink and in storing more water, and generally in helping in the second phase of peatland restoration, after water tables have been raised by blocking drainage ditches and grips. 

Many thanks to our fantastic team of volunteers for making such a difference, to not only our own NNRs, but also those in the wider area.