Peatland project highly commended in RSPB awards

The Shetland Peatland Restoration Project has been highly commended in the RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards.

The awards are about celebrating the success of those who work hard to protect Scotland’s precious natural heritage and who protect that which is under real threat. There were a total of 39 finalists across eight categories.

The Peatland Restoration Project, managed by the Shetland Amenity Trust, was nominated in the Innovation category. The winner was The James Hutton Institute for its Magic Margins project, while The Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations was also highly commended.

Peatland project co-ordinator Sue White said: “We have been taking an innovative and resourceful approach to sourcing materials and techniques for peatland restoration in Shetland by using waste materials from the aquaculture industry to build dams and stabilise bare peat.

“Not only have these techniques proved remarkably successful but we have also been able to reduce the cost and carbon footprint of the projects.

“Local contractors have been used throughout so that we now have a local skill base for peatland restoration in Shetland and local windfarm developer Viking Energy have been taking a big interest in our results.”

Carbon savings have been made several times over – through restoring degraded blanket bog, avoiding the need to freight materials to Shetland and re-use of bulky waste material from salmon farms.