In the age of the Anthropocene, many of us are searching for ways to play our part in securing the future of the planet. I hope to contribute by shining a light on one of the unsung heroes in the biodiversity and climate crisis: our peatlands.
Although they cover just 3–4% of the Earth’s surface, peatlands hold around a third of all soil carbon, twice as much as the world’s forests. These unique and specialised ecosystems, when healthy, support a remarkable wealth of life.
Yet they are under threat. Centuries of drainage, extraction and exploitation for fuel, farming, and horticulture have left as much as 80% of the UK’s peatlands in a degraded state. When peat dries, the carbon it has safely locked away for millennia is released into the atmosphere, fuelling the very crisis we need them to help us fight.
But there is hope. Restoration projects are gathering pace, and hundreds of thousands of hectares across the UK have already been brought back to life. Scotland’s Flow Country, recently recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a powerful example of what can be achieved when charities, land managers, scientists and communities work together.
My own research explores these landscapes, the upland blanket bogs, and the fragments of lowland raised bog still surviving amongst the farmland mosaics. I’m interested in experiencing the world from other perspectives, exploring the environments of sphagnum mosses, cotton grasses, sundews, fungi and lichens, and imagining the umwelt, or “life-world,” of the beings who dwell there.
Working with digital media, sustainable materials and scientific insights, my project is leading toward an immersive exhibition with sustainability at its heart. It seeks to make visible unseen worlds, to reveal the reciprocal relationships between plants, animals and humans, and to share the hope found in restoration, rewetting and the return of biodiversity.
I am deeply grateful to the conservation professionals and academic researchers who have generously shared their knowledge, offered guidance, and supported me in navigating challenging fieldwork conditions.
Thanks also to the cultural organisations, networks, and local authorities who have created opportunities to connect with inspiring artists, scientists, and conservationists. Their collective passion for preserving, restoring, and deepening our relationship with the natural world has been a constant source of encouragement throughout this project.
