WORK to restore 39 hectares of peatland on the Isle of Purbeck has begun. 

A project to restore 39 hectares of peatland at Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve has begun with the aim of restoring degraded peatland habitat with significant carbon sequestration benefits while helping rare and endangered species.

The process of restoring the natural peatlands will involve the rewetting of the mires, returning them to their original condition with RISK Habitat Management embarking on the first phase of restoration in partnership with Dorset Peat Partnership.

RSK Habitat Management Technical Director Jason Winslow said: “Restoring the mires across Purbeck Heaths will have a transformational effect on the landscape.

"As these peatlands have drained over time, carbon has been gradually released from the ground, and the habitats of many species have shrunk. Not only will a restored peatland environment help the many rare and protected species living in this area to thrive but also it will mean the landscape can once again sequester carbon from the atmosphere.”

This is the first of a series of planned restoration projects which will help secure the health of the habitats for wildlife and reversing their degraded ability to act as carbon stores.