New Mosses Habitat Ploughs Ahead

January 5, 2022

If you’ve been out for a walk on the Mosses near Morris’ Bridge, you’ll have noticed work around the former scrapyard area.

The BogLIFE team have been using specialist diggers to spread the piles of turf that have been sitting on the scrapyard into a smooth ridge around the edges of the site. Work should be completed this week and, over time, this will form a wet woodland habitat of grasses and sedges.

What looks a muddy mess right now is bare peat, but that should green up in the Spring as it is naturally colonised from seed contained in the turf.

Removing turf allowed new peatland to be created

The turf came from the nearby site of former agricultural land that is part of the original peatland. Removing the turf exposed the underlying peat, in which the team installed bunding to control the water level.

Last summer, new Sphagnum plugs- the key ingredient in creating new peat – were planted into the bunded ponds. The plugs have established and the BogLIFE team are monitoring the plants’ growth rated. It’s early days but the signs are encouraging that the Sphagnum will grow well on the site. Management of the water levels will be key to the success of this planting.

So when you’re out for a walk on the Mosses, please wear boots or wellies as the tracks can be muddy this time of year. And remember to watch for signs of growth on the new habitat around the scrapyard site as well as on the new peatland across the main track. It’s an exciting time for the restoration work on the Mosses.