On Friday 30 October, Sarah Dines MP visited Moors for the Future Partnership. Blanket bogs are waterlogged areas, often in the uplands, made of a thick layer of peat. They are covered in a layer of plants including bog moss, also known as sphagnum. This special environment supports a wealth of plant and animal species, including improving water quality, reducing flooding actively fight climate change and providing a beautiful landscape for tourism and local people to enjoy. Unfortunately, blanket bogs in the Peak District and South Pennines have experienced long term decline, due to a range of human induced factors. This has a knock-on effect on the habitat and its ability to provide multiple benefits to society. The Moors for the Future Partnership are determined to protect the Moors in Derbyshire and beyond.
Sarah Dines MP said, ‘Thank you to all at ‘Moors for the Future Partnership’ who gave me a very informative introduction to their work last week. The Partnership are doing fantastic work on preserving and restoring the upland moorland which has been damaged historically by the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s.
There are high levels of heavy metals in peat in the Peak District and South Pennines because they were present in smoke from factories during the industrial revolution. These metals are so abundant that metal eating bacteria normally found on scrapheaps have been found in the peat. The Moors for the Future Partnership have developed techniques for stabilising peat which have resulted in the successful re-vegetation of bare peat and in the first 17 years they have transformed over 33 sq km of bare peat, which is just fantastic and great news for the environment. I care very much about the environment and we will be working together with other local MPs to do all we can to preserve our wonderful upland moors.’
