Since 2007, the Crichton Carbon Centre ("CCC") - an independent environmental charity - has been at the forefront of innovative peatland restoration, carbon management, sustainable land use, and environmental education, developing practical solutions and landscape improvements to combat climate change. CCC trains practitioners and landowners in the skills needed for peatland restoration, advises policy makers and advocates on carbon science, helps shape peatland restoration schemes and peatland codes, and runs successful education programmes to reduce the damaging impact on the planet. The role played is pivotal, bringing people together to build consensus and manage land in a way that restores the carbon ecosystems.
For over a decade, CCC has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and improve practice in peatland restoration. In recent years, peatland and its environmental importance have moved from being a discussion between land managers and scientists to rightly gaining prominence with the wider public, and as the science and understanding of peatland degradation and restoration has improved and become more widely known, CCC has maintained its position at the forefront of the conversation. As well as providing practical advice and support to landowners and managers wishing to undertake peatland restoration through Peatland Action, CCC is working to demonstrate best practice through a wide range of projects, from a citizen science water quality monitoring project looking at the potential for restoration to improve wild fisheries, to developing the first 'flux tower' project for the south of Scotland to measure greenhouse gas emissions from second rotation forestry on deep peat, to developing a trial to use sheep's wool as a more sustainable and local product for use in peatland restoration. CCC is also passionate about working closely with land managers to help them understand their obligations to the peatlands and the positive environmental impact their restoration can have. CCC began working with Buccleuch in 2017, and more recently, in 2022, the two organizations formed a partnership to deliver peatland restoration across Buccleuch's Scottish estates. Commissioned by Buccleuch, CCC undertook an extensive exercise to map the areas of deep peat on the estates and produced a detailed report which is being used by Buccleuch to inform its wider land use strategy and shape a restoration programme for the next decade and beyond. The report identifies twenty-eight sites on the estates that would benefit from restoration, including details of their restoration complexity and potential carbon savings should restoration be completed. Adrian Dolby, Head of Agriculture at Buccleuch, who has led this work, is delighted to be moving forward, and the 150ha of peatland restored with the help of CCC and Peatland ACTION is seen as an indicator of the value Buccleuch places on the CCC's report and recommendations.
With peatlands covering an estimated 20% of Scotland's land area and around 80% of this being degraded, there is potential to sequester huge amounts of carbon and make a positive contribution to the climate crisis. However, the areas to be restored are often remote, and there are many considerations for each project to ensure maximum environmental and biodiversity benefits. Projects are individually designed to take into account challenging restoration features and adverse weather conditions. The time window available for peatland restoration is limited (October to March) to ensure that ground-nesting birds are not disturbed - this is built into the work programme. It has also been recognized that there is a shortage of skilled labor to carry out peatland restoration. To help fill this gap, CCC has set up a mentoring scheme to train individuals in key restoration techniques. Believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland, eight successful applicants took part in the scheme. Over twelve days, the participants worked with Buccleuch and CCC on an area of the Lowther Hills, gaining hands-on experience in peatland restoration. The participants now have the knowledge and understanding to undertake other areas of restoration. Commenting on the program, Becky Shaw, Peatland ACTION's Workforce Development Manager, said: “the ambitious targets set for peatland restoration across Scotland means there is a huge need for more people in the sector. They are delighted Buccleuch and the Crichton Carbon Centre were keen participants in this project to provide much-needed skills and experience in restoration, which in turn helps support employment in rural areas."
The environmental benefits of peatland restoration are measurable in the amount of carbon that can be sequestered once a project is completed. However, peatland restoration also helps to make the land richer in biodiversity and improves water quality and downstream flood management. Working with a range of local partners, CCC and the Galloway Fisheries Trust have brought peatland restoration to improve water quality to the forefront of planning and decision making by establishing catchment working groups, setting up long-term monitoring, and identifying priority areas for restoration. Increasingly, CCCs are also promoting and evaluating how peatland restoration can improve biodiversity, critiquing existing biodiversity metrics and developing projects to trial improved restoration techniques, for example, to reduce the dominance of Molinia on blanket bogs and improve water availability for upland birds. All of CCC's work also has wider social benefits that go beyond the restoration and management of the land. Their work includes educating young people and community groups, empowering individuals to make positive choices and take action to reduce their impact on the environment. The mentoring program is specifically designed to train and up-skill individuals in rural areas, enabling them to make a positive contribution to climate change and to create rural employment opportunities that will have a trickle-down effect on local communities. Last year, through the Peatland Action Training Program, CCC designed and delivered peatland restoration training to nearly 500 participants, including contractors, land managers, Scottish Government and agencies, and consultants.
CCC is an independent environmental charity, and although their team of experts is small, their reach into the community from their office in Kirkgunzeon in Dumfries and Galloway is wide. Using their expertise on the climate and nature crisis, they educate and empower the young people of D&G to take action on climate change by connecting them to the natural world through outdoor learning sessions on a range of topics including climate change, biodiversity, and sustainability. CCC's Peatland Connections project aims to bring together people from different communities using art and science. Scientists, biological recorders, land managers, schools, artists, local communities, and government are exploring their interest in and use of peatlands to reconnect with land use decisions. Last year alone, over 700 people took part in Peatland Connections events. The Biosphere Explorers education project has worked with around 600 local school children, teaching them about climate change and their local environment.
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