Hello everyone, @GrimesRoisin & @SimonGray14 here. We're excited to take over the account this week to chat all things peatland restoration and management! Thanks to @AuliffeOurNatur for last week & all the fascinating curators so far...we’ve a lot to live up to! 1/18
We’ll kick off with a bit of an intro. We work for @UlsterWildlife & for the past 4 years have been involved in the brilliant EU Interreg @theCANNproject, doing restoration work & writing management plans for 12 sites (8 raised bogs, 2 fens & 2 upland blanket bogs). 2/18
@theCANNproject is now sadly wrapping up in Dec. The 30+ staff from 11 partner orgs worked on 27 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) & Special Protected Areas (SPAs) across NI, ROI & Scotland, to improve the condition of peatland & wetland habitats & associated species 3/18
There’s been a phenomenal amount of work & stakeholder engagement achieved through CANN - check out thecannproject.org. CANN's target was to produce 27 site management plans, improve 3,650 ha of peatland/wetland habitat & improve cross-border cooperation in the sector 4/18
We estimate the restoration work on our 12 sites alone improved the condition of >1,375ha of peatland! This ranged from drain blocking, erosion control, invasive species removal, wildfire management plans & upland pathwork. We trialed some innovative methods & materials too. 5/18
This week we'll share some of the insights & (many!) lessons learned from this work, from the impact on priority species, to getting diggers out of bogs! But 1st a bit about ourselves, why we think peatlands are important & why we love working on them (despite the weather!) 6/18
Simon here - I'm fascinated by ecological restoration, how we bring habitats & species back. I studied zoology in Glasgow & in the past I've tried my hand at most things, from clearing scrub and surveying birds, to environmental education. 7/18
I've always had an interest in uplands, wetlands & wild places. Luckily I landed a job working on Cuilcagh Mt with @cuilcaghlakes, which led me to @theCANNproject & @UlsterWildlife, where I've been able to feed my addiction for wild open spaces by restoring peatland habitats 8/18
Roisin here, I studied BSc Biological Sciences & MSc Sustainable Rural Development. I worked in renewable energy for a few years, before going back to an MSc in Ecological Management, with a thesis on peatland restoration, all @QUBelfast. This was my 1st job in conservation! 9/18
I grew up on a farm in Tyrone & (maybe controversially) have fond memories going to the bog as a child...I'd mostly be off catching frogs rather than turning much turf! It gave me my 1st appreciation of wildlife and the outdoors. I debated mentioning this, but... 10/18
..want to acknowledge its influence on my career & suspect the experience resonates with many who grew up in rural Ireland. But times are changing. I use this perspective working with stakeholders today & couldn't ask for a better job restoring these incredible habitats! 11/18
We're very fortunate to work on these often under-rated habitats. We know a true peatlands expert is coming up on the account, so we'll stick to the restoration work this week & just highlight a few of the many reasons we think peatlands are important & worth restoring 12/18
Peatlands are often referred to as our equivalent to rainforests, because they cover ca. 3% of the earth's surface but store x2 as much carbon as all the world's forests combined! They are also home to many of our rare & endangered species, e.g. hen harrier & golden plover 13/18
About 18% of NI & 17% of ROI is covered in peatlands, including raised bogs dotted through the lowlands, blanket bogs cloaking the uplands & pockets of fens– the latter fed by ground water instead of rainwater. UK & ROI hold 20% of the global blanket bog resource alone! 14/18
Peat is made of partially decomposed vegetation (mainly Sphagnum moss in ROI/UK) & formed over centuries in anaerobic, waterlogged conditions - so Ireland is perfect! However, most are now damaged through drainage, overgrazing, fire, afforestation & invasives like rhody 15/18
Some of the bogs we work on are 12m deep - that’s 12,000 yrs of carbon locked away. When peatlands are damaged they release the carbon stored beneath their surface. In Ireland & UK, peatlands are net GHGs emitters. Restoring peatlands therefore helps mitigate climate change 16/18
That's not to mention all the other benefits healthy peatlands deliver, from flood mitigation & provision of drinking water, to providing recreation opportunities. We hope this week will give you a glimpse into the work that goes into restoring these precious habitats! 17/18
For #worldmentalhealthday2022 we'll finish by sharing one of the biggest benefits of spending time in these landscapes - the calming effect of nature. Enjoy this video of sand martins flitting about Cuilcagh & we'll be back tomorrow to talk about drain blocking! 18/18
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Also known as Integrated Stakeholder Management and how you might eliminate 1 invasive species from 1 county!
Buckle up because I don't know where this will go!
1/n
We have 3 loose goals as aforementioned;
- Physical removal of Rhododendron
- Increase in public awareness of status and impacts
- Push for increased collaboration and integrated management at a county and national level!
I was meant to talk about 2 topics today but will only be talking about Site Restoration post clearance as I counted days wrong and can dedicate another day to site wide county activity!
So you've started clearing your site - what's next?
1/n
Personally I favour hands off intervention but we can't always do this!
As you can see below, removal of rhododendron leaves a mark!
Some studies show diversity in some places is still impacted 30 years after clearance 😲
Terrors of the forest? Or necessary keystone species?
As with everything in ecology, nothing is simple! Today I (@AdamFSmith) will look at some myths, science, and interesting facts about these species. Claws out, let's go! 🐺
1/n
Firstly, this is my immediate research area. Over the last 3 years I have been involved in numerous studies involving wolves and lynx, however the "speed of science" means few are published right now!
It is extremely complex, so over Twitter you'll have to bare with me!
2/n
Europe's legal protection and softening public opinion has successfully seen population and range rebounds for these species.
Both are listed as protected under the EU Habitat's Directive and cannot be hunted in EU countries! 🇪🇺
Hi everyone, Kez here, I'm really excited to chat with you all this week about my research & life as an Irish Ornithologist. I’ve been working in ornithology/ conservation for over nine years, first with @WWT, then PhD @QUBEcology & now working as a consultant ornithologist. 1/n
I’ve been ringing birds all across Ireland since 2014, & my main focus for ringing is raptors, waders & waterfowl, working with @nirsg and @brentgoosechase. My first love will always be the Light-bellied Brent Goose, but this week I plan to talk about my PhD research. 2/n
From geese to raptors is quite a jump, but it was important. Worldwide, raptors are beneficial across an entire range of ecosystem services, from regulating prey populations, providing cultural services… 3/n
Kez is an ornithologist, bird ringer, President of @CopelandBirdOb and the @_BTO Regional Rep for Co. Down. Kez completed her PhD researching the Common kestrel in Ireland from Queen’s University Belfast!
This week, @alethionaut will be talking about this amazing raptor, the Common Kestrel & its conservation issues in Ireland & how to get involved.