Restoring the Isle of Man’s Degraded Peatlands

High on the hillsides of the Isle of Man, Peatland Officer Sarah Hickey probes the waterlogged ground with a metal rod, assessing the depth of peat accumulated over millennia. Part of a small three-person Uplands team, Hickey manages approximately 8,000 hectares of the island’s uplands, an area spanning nearly 20,000 acres. Her primary objective is to identify damaged sections of the landscape and restore their ecological function.

Peat, composed of partially decomposed plant matter, serves as the most effective carbon-storing soil on Earth. Preserving this carbon below ground is critical to preventing its release into the atmosphere. However, centuries of human intervention have compromised these ecosystems. By the 17th century, deforestation had largely stripped the island of trees, forcing residents to harvest peat blocks for fuel. This practice persisted for generations until it was banned in 2020, yet the resulting bare patches continue to collapse and erode, depositing sediment into downstream reservoirs.

Restoration work requires specialized, lightweight machinery to avoid causing further damage. Excavators are used to reshape steep, eroded slopes into gentler inclines, after which vegetation is folded over the exposed peat. The area is then stabilized using bio logs and protective netting to maintain shade and moisture, encouraging new plant growth.

Experts emphasize that sphagnum moss is the fundamental engineer of a healthy bog. While it thrives in peatland environments, it also actively creates them. The moss retains vast quantities of water, which slows rainfall runoff, mitigates flooding, and filters sediment before it reaches water supplies. Additionally, healthy peat contains up to 90% water, making it significantly more resistant to wildfires, an increasing threat during summer months.

The restoration of these bogs also benefits local biodiversity. Open, treeless bogs provide essential nesting grounds for birds such as the hen harrier, offering safety from predators that hunt from perches. The wet conditions support populations of invertebrates that serve as food for chicks. The speed at which these habitats recover can be remarkable; after installing coir logs at one site, Hickey observed dragonflies immediately laying eggs in the newly formed pools, demonstrating the rapid return of wildlife to restored areas.