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29 April 2025
Cumbria’s cool, wet climate makes it the perfect home for over 31,000 hectares of blanket bog—that’s the equivalent of more than 43,400 football pitches. These vast peatlands are Cumbria’s most important carbon store and one of our strongest nature-based solutions in the fight against climate change.
When peatlands are left to deteriorate and dry out, they begin releasing carbon dioxide instead of capturing or storing it. This adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and supercharges the natural greenhouse effect, causing global temperatures to rise.
Over the past decade and more, significant peatland restoration work has taken place across Cumbria. So far, success has been measured by how well vegetation recovers and how high the water table rises. However, due to a lack of funding, there has been little consistent monitoring of the rewetting structures themselves, the very interventions designed to retain water and prevent further degradation.
Now, thanks to a Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) project in partnership with Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT), that’s changing. Supported by a £30,900 grant between April 2024 and March 2025, the project delivered three key outcomes.
Volunteers were recruited and trained to monitor rewetting efforts on seven bogs across Cumbria. The number of skilled contractors able to deliver essential restoration work has grown. And farmers have learned how managing peatlands can not only benefit livestock health but also offer new opportunities for income diversification.
Lee Bassett, who led the project, is from Ozawa Wildlife—an ecological survey and habitat management company based in the Eden Valley. He explains that the funding supported a feasibility study, including a field test of the monitoring techniques volunteers would use. This was an essential step, as the project introduced a different and innovative way to track how rewetting efforts are performing.
“As soon as we had a solid, tested assessment methodology in place, the next step was to bring in volunteers,” Lee said. “During the feasibility study, we realised the success of the monitoring would depend heavily on the skill level of the volunteers involved. That meant we had to deliver high-quality training and that volunteers who were to become part of the longer term monitoring could attend the two training sessions. Once trained, volunteers committed to visiting remote locations twice a year to carry out monitoring and submit their findings to Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT).”
The team successfully recruited a mix of retirees and working people in their 20s and early 30s. Around 26 volunteers attended the initial sessions and 12 volunteers committed to long term monitoring. In all volunteers completed around 400 hours collectively. Lee notes that the training was very well received, with many volunteers, especially those under 35, saying the skills they gained supported their education or careers.
One of the volunteers shared their experience: “Despite the weather, these have been fantastically positive days. It’s inspiring to see the incredible work being done on the fells and to learn how these precious habitats are being improved and stabilised. It’s also been a pleasure meeting such dedicated, knowledgeable people who are committed to protecting this landscape. I’m really looking forward to continuing to support the monitoring of these beautiful sites.”
Lee says there’s been interest from other peatland partnership restoration projects in the volunteer-led monitoring protocol. There is interest in the volunteer-led monitoring approach from other peatland restoration partnerships. According to Lee, the biggest benefit is early detection of issues—like failed bunds—which means they can be fixed quickly and cost-effectively, protecting the long-term integrity of the restoration work.
“It’s a simple but effective way to keep tabs on the condition of restoration efforts,” said Lee. “When something’s flagged, it prompts staff to investigate before bigger problems arise. And with more peatland restoration projects on the way, this kind of volunteer-driven monitoring will be vital for making sure future efforts are even more efficient and successful.”
A shortage of skilled contractors is limiting the scale of peatland restoration in Cumbria, especially given the short September–March work window when the work can be done.
The project provided training and part-funded essential equipment. The result is that there is increased local contractor capacity which can unlock and respond to more restoration opportunities in Cumbria.
With land management funding shifting towards achieving environmental outcomes, it was important to provide farmers with opportunities to find out how being peatland stewards could help them. As part of the project, and during the feasibility study, Lee has engaged with commons associations and farmers to establish their appetite for training on peatland restoration monitoring. In addition, Louise Rawling, who has been working with fellow farmers and commoners through the West Lakeland CIC as well as PhD researchers, gave a talk on the state of soils on Kinniside Common. Her talk was well-received talk at a well-attended open meeting in March, sparking further discussion and interest in sustainable land practices.
Feedback from Lee on his FiPL experience is overwhelmingly positive. He has praised its flexibility, efficient local administration, and the support he’s had from his LDNPA adviser.
