Last week we were privileged to be involved in Thetford Farm Estate’s debut event at their new wedding and conferencing barn. It was hosted by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust to promote their ‘Bourne North Fen Nature & Peatland Restoration’ project, and we were there to detail challenges and opportunities in the Fens, as well as what Fenland SOIL are doing to tackle them.
Christian, Project Officer for our LAPWDP project, kicked off our contribution by explaining what peat is and discussing some of the key challenges for lowland peat in East Anglia, including its rapid subsidence and outsized effect on the climate.
He then spoke about Fenland SOIL’s work, giving an overview of our five key project areas (more information on these here) and why we place such an emphasis on collaboration with farmers. Chris also touched on the reasons our opportunity mapping of Fenland soils, water infrastructure and productivity will greatly benefit future farming in the Fens.
Lucy, Project Officer on the PEF project, was next up. She outlined the findings of the Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force and the dearth of ELMS options for farmers on lowland peat. She then gave a brief introduction to paludiculture, before talking about our very own trial; how it was carried out, including the logic behind sight and crop selection; a summary of our recent findings; and project plans later down the line.
We’d like to send a massive thank you to Thetford Farm Estates and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust for putting together such a fantastic day and for allowing us to share a little about our work and its impact on the future of the Fens.
We’d also like to say a huge congratulations to Lucy and Christian, who did an incredible job and were so well-received (why not check out Thetford Farm Estate’s highlight reel from the day, where you might be able to catch a glimpse of Christian talking to an enrapt audience!).
