The mosses of Whixall, Fenn’s and Bettisfield form one the largest lowland raised bogs in Britain. This very special habitat is home to an amazing diversity of wildlife. Restoration has been in progress since commercial peat cutting was stopped in 1990. The removal, in 2001, of a large area of self-sown pine forest has allowed a large uncut area of peat bog to be restored.
The rainwater fed moss provides a home for a diverse range of flora and fauna including 18 species of bog moss, as well as many other characteristic bog plants, such as the insect-eating round-leaved sundew, and more uncommon plants, including bog asphodel, bog rosemary, lesser bladderwort, white-beaked sedge.
Invertebrates are thriving after the restoration of the bog, including raft spider, the window-winged sedge caddisfly, and 29 species of dragonfly and damselfly. The numbers of true bog specialists, including the white-faced darter dragonfly and very rare picture-winged bog craneflies, are recovering from a very low point.. The Moss has over 670 different species of moth including the pretty little purple-bordered gold, the northern footman, dingy mocha and Manchester treble-bar. The 32 species of butterfly include the brimstone, the green hairstreak and the real bog butterfly – the large heath, which lives on cotton sedge and cross-leaved heath.
This one day workshop will look at :
- the importance of peat as a priority habitat, and carbon store, and the role of peatland bogs in water resources quality and managing flooding downstream.
- what can damage peat such as drainage for agriculture, forestry transport systems and peat cutting, air pollution, overgrazing, fire, quarrying etc;
- reconciling different landowner objectives on developed peat bogs;
- how can active peat development be restored;? The site visits will show a restored lowland bog.
The full 2016 programme is available on the Flora Locale website and includes workshops on:
- grassland
- meadows and greenspace
- scything
- orchards
- ponds and other wetlands,
- peatland
- woodland management
- ancient trees
How to Book
• For full details and to book email info@floralocale.org
• All events must be booked in advance
• Fees are £100 p/p per event £75 p/p for employees/volunteers of charities parish councils, students and those not economically active, unless otherwise stated
• Payment by credit card or invoice is available through the website