Education

Peat Campaigns

In the 1980s a number of high profile cases involving the destruction of peatland sites in the United Kingdom highlighted the dramatic decline of peatlands across the UK and Ireland. In 1989 concerns regarding the national and global implications of this decline led a number of UK conservation organisations to form the Peatlands Consortium. In Ireland similar concerns led to the formation of the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) in 1982.

UK Peatlands Consortium

The Consortium organised a major peatland campaign throughout the UK, the primary aims of which were

• Peatlands Campaign Consortium

  the development and implementation of a UK strategy for the conservation of peatlands
• the development of peat alternative to replace peat in gardening and horticulture
• the protection of UK peatlands of nature conservation importance
• the review of all UK planning consents for UK peat extraction
• the rehabilitation of UK peatlands.

The response to the UK Peatlands Campaign have been variable with greater success in some areas e.g. the protection of sites, than others e.g. a reduction in the use of horticultural peat. The UK Government responses to the campaign included a review of peat extraction and the development of a Mineral Planning Policy specifically for peat, reduction or elimination of peat use at Government sites, and finance for peatland research. Government in Northern Ireland also produced an innovative Policy Statement on Peatlands which outlined the measures that would be taken by all Government Departments to conserve peatlands. For further information about the Peatlands Consortium please write to Peatlands Campaign Consortium, ………..

The Irish Peatland Conservation Council - Save the Bogs Campaign

The IPCC was established with the principle aim of ensuring the conservation of a representative example of Ireland's peatland heritage. IPCC launched the Save the Bogs Campaign in 1982 and it is one of the longest running campaigns in Ireland. The Campaign has focused its attention on three main areas:

• Site Protection
• Information and Education
• Fund-raising and lobbying

IPCC Peatland Campaigns

Like the UK campaign there has been some success in certain areas e.g. the area of protected peatlands in Ireland has gone from just a few hundred hectares in 1980 to over 140,000 ha. The IPCC have also published a wide range of educational materials and conservation plans for peatlands in Ireland.

Undoubtedly both the UK Peatlands Campaign, and the Save the Bogs Campaign have played a major role in raising public awareness and contributed to increased measures to protect and conserve peatlands in the UK and Ireland.

Despite the many improvements in peatland conservation during the last 20 years a major disappointment has been the continued use of peat, in the gardening and horticulture industries. Present and future campaigns will need to address this use of peat, which is leading to the destruction of peatlands across Europe.

Peatland Campaigns are not always organised by large conservation organisations but can also be as a result of action by local communities. Campaigns are not just confined to Europe e.g. a current campaign to save an area of peatland in Vancouver, Canada is being spearheaded by the Burns Bog Conservation Society.

For further information click here to view the Burns Bog Conservation Society website.