Removal of 170,000 trees helps restore fragile bog that’s nearly 9,000 years old

The conifers have been taken from May Moss in Langdale Forest, near Fylingdales, by the Forestry Commission, thanks to a £170,000 grant from the SITA Trust and support from the North York Moors National Park Authority.

May Moss is thought to 
be nearly 9,000 years old and offers a vital habitat for plants, birds and insects, but the trees – planted in the 20th century to boost timber reserves following the two world wars – were sucking moisture from the ground.

The work has already given a boost to plants including sphagnum moss, cotton grass and bog rosemary, as well as supporting dragonflies in the area.

Brian Hicks, an ecologist with the Forestry Commission, said: “We have restored 150 hectares of the bog, twice as much as originally planned, by removing trees and blocking drainage channels to help the site retain rain water.

“The signs are encouraging with the return of vegetation to areas cleared of trees. Bogs may not have the profile of rainforests or ancient woods, but ecologically they are just as important.”