Helicopters called in to help in restoration of peat moors

The aircraft will drop more almost three million tiny pieces of sphagnum moss across 39 acres of inaccessible upland in the Peak District as part of a project to restore the landscape.

According to project leaders at the Moors for the Future Partnership, a charity dedicated to restoration and protection of the Peak District moors, the tiny gel capsules are the size of a fingernail.

Each capsule contains several small strands of moss while the gel helps to weigh down the moss and provide a food source and protection from the climate to allow it to become established.

Moors for the Future conservation works manager Matt Buckler said the planting trial, which will start in September, would be “a fitting venture with which to mark the organisation’s 10th anniversary”.

He said: “Moors for the Future has always been at the leading edge in terms of new approaches to upland conservation.

“In this project we’re working with Micropropagation Services and its contractor Heli-Lift in one of our most ambitious ventures to date. The new technique will potentially transform the way in which inaccessible peatlands can be revegetated on a large scale.

“If successful, it could benefit other peatland conservation projects across the world.”

Neal Wright, the managing director of Micropropagation Services, added: “Helicopters already play a key role in upland conservation activities, including transporting huge bags of heather cuttings to inaccessible locations.

“But this is one of the first times a helicopter has been used to directly apply live sphagnum moss to bare peat. It’s been tremendously challenging to develop the technology, but we’re optimistic that the project will offer a cost-effective solution to the challenge of revegetating the uplands.”

Mr Buckler said the aim of the project was for the moss to grow out of the capsule and begin to colonise the moors and bring the peatland moorlands back to a healthy and sustainable condition once more.

Peat is the biggest single store of carbon in the UK, and it is thought it could help fight climate change.