It's that time of year when the hills are alive with new growth 😍 This moss, known as 'bog haircap moss', is glowing with capsules held on slender red stems, called 'seta'. Once the capsules mature, they will release their spores to the wind, allowing the moss to disperse 💨🌿
Trapping sediment and water on damaged #peatland has multiple benefits 👍
The slower movement of water creates shallow pools which benefit invertebrates and ground nesting birds 🌿🐦
Peaty sediment is deposited behind the bunds, preventing it from reaching water courses and reservoirs 😊
After some heavy lifting we've started to install wool rolls from Sustainable Rope 🐏 These are 100% wool rolls which we are trialling to see how they work compared with the coir rolls we've used so far🤔
We hope they work well, as it would be great to use local wool to help restore our #peatlands 😀
The misty stillness amplifies the song of the skylarks on Snaefell 🐦🎶 It'll soon be time to finish work for the season and let the birds enjoy all the lovely shallow pools we've created ☺️
Our latest blog 'peatlands and people' features on the IUCN Peatland Programme news page 😊 If you haven't read it yet, check it out here ⬇️
www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/news
Spring is an exciting time on the hills, as we get to see how the vegetation is responding to our work 😀
Last year's beige spikes of bog asphodel will soon be replaced by vibrant yellow flowers 🌸🌿 and cottongrass flowers were spotted on Beinn-y-Phott yesterday 😍 #peatland
The sunny weather has brought the mountain hares out to play 😎 Our #peatland contractor spotted four on his walk to work - they still have their white winter coats, so they're easy to see 🐰
This video is from last spring, but it's worth another watch 😊
The bunds are doing their thing during this wet weather 😀
Bunds can be placed across eroding water channels to slow the flow of water, trap sediment and create shallow pools 💦
We currently use heather bales and coir logs, but are planning to trial wool logs shortly 🐑 Watch this space 👀 #peatland
Ravens (Corvus corax) can often been seen in upland areas and the local Snaefell pair are particularly friendly. They regularly greet contractors with a 'cronk cronk' call, and occasionally engage in 'conversation' with a particular contractor 😊
The #Manx for raven is 'feeagh'.
Even on wet and misty days, the hills are full of colour if you look closely 😍
The lichen Cladonia floerkeana is common on heathland and drier areas of #peat 💚 Sphagnum mosses always add vibrant colour to peatland areas. Occasionally, we find 'gifts' left on sphagnum hummocks from a bird of prey 🦅
We have started growing locally sourced sphagnum moss for our #peatland restoration work 🌿 😀 This follows a small trial at the end of last summer and subsequent advice from Gill at the Calderdale Sphagnum Project 💦
To find out how it grows, watch this space 👀
On a cold and very windy day we were joined by Andy and Ann from www.ffpolymers.com 😊
They are the manufacturers of the low ground pressure digger tracks used for our restoration work, and were keen to see the tracks in action while they were visiting the #IsleOfMan
Despite the recent cold weather, we've been hard at work on Snaefell 🥶
The #diggers have been reprofiling the #peat hags 🌿
and ground workers have been installing coir materials to reduce erosion 💦
It's challenging to get these materials to the site, with much of the movement done by hand 💪
👀Check out our latest blog about #peatlands and people, celebrating World Wetlands Day 💦😊
www.manxpeat.org/blog/peatlan...
#wwd2026
It's very atmospheric today and the diggers are making the most of dry the weather 😊
The wind and rain has been replaced with rolling mist, but a combination of a bespoke peat survey app and high-tech garden canes ensure that the drivers can find the peat hags. The dogs are also helping 🐕😂
There was a resurgence of #peat cutting on the #IsleOfMan during the war, including the use of #internee labour. There was also a strike by workers complaining about the weather and the challenging work!
See: www.linkedin.com/posts/manx-p...
Peatlands are a great preserver of the past, giving an insight into the plants and animals that once inhabited the Isle of Man
🦌One of the most famous is the Irish elk, preserved in a kettle hole, which can now be seen in the Manx Museum.
See www.linkedin.com/posts/manx-p...
The importance of #peatlands in #Manx culture is evident in the literature, art and music of the Island. This picture shows a couple sitting before an open 'chiollagh' or 'fireplace', where peat would have been burned for warmth and cooking 🔥
The old tracks from the days of #peat cutting are still visible on the #Manx hills if you know what to look for 👀
For more info see www.linkedin.com/company/manx...
or www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
#wwd2025 #yearofmanx
It probably sound very similar, like a drawn out 'moan' I think 😊
If you wander over the hills, you may be able to imagine what they were like in times past 🤔 Manx history is written in the land, and gathering #peat for fuel had a big influence on what we see there today. For more info see: www.linkedin.com/company/manx... or www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
'Moain y yiarrey', or cutting peat for fuel, was widespread on the Isle of Man, but was banned in 2020🔥
Previous legislation dates back to 1577, and defines to time of year and day that cutting could take place. One of the reasons given was to stop the stealing of peat under cover of darkness!
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Some cold photos before the snow completely disappears ❄️😊
👀Look out next week for our posts about the importance of peatlands for #Manx people past and present. From cutting peat for fuel🔥 to hill farming🐑 to enjoying upland wildlife🐦, we're keen to hear any peaty stories you have!
💦World Wetlands Day 2026 #WWD2026 is celebrated on 2nd February. This year it focuses on the cultural heritage of wetlands, so we'll be looking at how our #peatlands are linked to our cultural identity and their importance to past and present ways of life 😊
The hills are pretty soggy after lots of rain recently💦 It's good to see that our newly installed peat bunds are working, creating shallow pools of water in an area that has just been reprofiled. These pools will help to keep the peat wet and provide a nice habitat for wildlife 🐦🦋
To celebrate winter ❄️ we've uploaded a whole range of video clips onto our website 🎬
You can view mountain hares 🐇and dragonflies, listen to the dawn chorus 🐦🎶, dive into a peat pipe, or see restoration work in action 👉 www.manxpeat.org/videos-1
What a day for #sphagnum moss planting 😁🌿 Despite the wind, rain and mist our hardy bunch of volunteers, including His Excellency and Lady Lorimer, got stuck in and planted hundreds of sphagnum plugs. This will help to keep the peat wet and eventually start to form new peat 🤞
Although our work is focussed on restoring natural #peatland habitats, it's also great to remember that there is a wealth of human history in these hills😊
It's important to retain these cultural connections to the landscape, while also trying to restore natural habitats for future generations 🌿
What a day to be on the hill😍 Slightly chilly if you're not in a heated #digger cab though 🥶❄️
Any suggestions? 🤔
