Wicken Fen set to benefit from £1.8 million peat project

The National Trust is celebrating 125 years at the nature reserve

Author: Victoria HornagoldPublished 1st May 2024
Last updated 1st May 2024

The National Trust is embarking on a £1.8 million project to restore peat at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire.

It is the very first nature reserve that it acquired, 125 years ago.

The conservation charity bought Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire in 1899, initially as a two-acre piece of land but acquiring more over the years.

It now has more than 2,000 acres at the biodiverse Wicken Fen, the equivalent of 1,148 football pitches, with 9,457 species recorded there - including 2,072 species of flies, 1,775 species of beetles and 1,252 species of moths.

The National Trust has announced a project to restore 531 acres of peat, a vital carbon store, at the site.

The charity said that without action, the majority of the remaining peat in the Fens could be lost within 30 years, emitting harmful carbon as it degrades.

The new project will aim to stop peat from drying out by repairing and installing clay banks to retain rainwater, and managing water tables to create saturated, healthy peat.

Alan Kell, the National Trust's countryside manager at Wicken Fen, said: "Healthy peatlands are massively important as we tackle climate change.

"They store carbon, help to control flooding, reduce the risk of wildfire and drought, act as a natural water filter and provide habitat for rare and unusual plants, birds and insects.

"Despite now being considered one of the driest areas of the UK, the East Anglian Fens was once a vast wetland covering more than 3,800sq km, larger than Cambridgeshire, consisting of deep peat soils, before being widely drained for agriculture in the 17th century.

"Since the first hectare of land was acquired back in 1899, we have been actively protecting the site by reversing historic drainage and re-wetting the peat soils to extend the area of fen and the biodiversity it supports."

He said it is hoped that more land can be acquired to expand the reserve to a "bigger, better, more joined up landscape".

"By improving our ability to manage the water table we hope to re-wet areas of dried out, degrading peat to once again enable the soil to become an effective carbon store," said Mr Kell.

"The associated wetland conditions should help cool down the microclimate of the area in the face of ever-increasing temperatures which is going to be a significant benefit.

"Across the fens, it's estimated that we lose 10 to 15mm of peat a year, which would take 10 to 15 years to generate.

"That's why we've got to act now, to care for the peat we have and the fen habitat it supports which so many species are dependent on, and we couldn't do this without the vital grants and donations we receive."

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