Large scale re-wetting restores Canford Heath, improving wildlife habitats and flood protection.
Canford Heath was restored in six weeks. They took out burned pine trees and reused the wood to help the bog. They blocked channels with pine timber and reduced grassy areas. This helps the ground soak up water, and they created peat walls to hold water.
All this improves the habitat for animals and lowers wildfire risks. The land was too dry before, and drainage caused peat soils to break down. They want rare animals like dragonflies to thrive.
Peatlands help with floods and droughts, holding lots of water well. They can hold 50 times their weight. Re-wetting helps reduce bad gases, as peat captures three times more carbon than trees.
Healthy peat stores carbon even when wet, which helps fight rising temperatures. Dorset peatlands declined recently. This restoration helps the habitats, giving long-term benefits, protecting wetland species, and protecting towns from flooding.
The project manager is happy to see results, as water is now staying on the heath. Nature-based solutions made it possible. They hope locals like the new habitats.
The Dorset Peat Partnership led this project. They already restored 172 hectares in the last year and a half. The government funded most of it; DEFRA paid for 75 percent.