In the age of the Anthropocene many of us are all seeking ways to play our part to secure the future of the planet. Through this project, I aim to contribute by highlighting one of our unsung heroes in the biodiversity and climate crisis, our peatlands.
Peatlands cover only 3-4% of the planet’s surface yet contain one third of all the terrestrial soil carbon, twice the amount found in all the world’s forests (IUCN UK Peatland Programme, 2024). These are unique, highly specialised ecosystems that, when healthy, support a wealth of biodiversity (Littlewood et al., 2011).
But they are under threat,12% of peatlands worldwide have been degraded by human activity (UN Environment Programme, 2022), Long seen as a “Cinderella” habitat, they have long been exploited, under appreciated and left in a degraded state through years of drainage for agriculture, extraction for horticulture and for fuel, as much as 80% of UK peatlands are now in a degraded state (IUCN UK Peatland Programme, 2024).
The anaerobic conditions of submerged peatlands are capable of locking carbon away for millennia (Loisel and Gallego-Sala, 2022). However, once dry the peat is exposed to oxygen and microbes begin to break down the partially decomposed plant matter stored within, releasing the carbon into the atmosphere (IUCN Peatland Programme, 2024)
But there is hope, projects to restore peatlands have been gathering pace with 250,000 ha of UK peatlands restored since the 1990’s. Scotland’s Flow Country recently being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site is testament to the work being done by charities, partnerships ,land managers and government agencies across the UK (IUCN UK Peatland Programme, 2025), but there is much work still to be done.
Through practice-based research (Candy and Edmonds, 2018). into peatland, I explore the umgebungen (environments) of upland blanket bogs and the mosaics of converted farmland that harbour the few remaining patches of lowland raised bog. Seeking ways to experience the world from another perspective, to understand the umwelt of those who dwell in and around the sphagnum mosses, cotton grasses, coniferous sundews, fungi and lichens.
By means of digital and sustainable materials intersected with scientific enquiry, my research will lead to an immersive and sensory exhibition with sustainability at its core. Aiming to visualise unseen worlds, explore reciprocal and intimate relationships between plant beings, nonhuman animals and humans and witness the restoration, rewetting and species reintroduction and the return of biodiversity to give reason for hope.
I am deeply grateful to Jamie Lawson, Peatland Reserves Recovery Officer from Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Alex Hubberstey, Coordinator, Lancashire Peat Partnership, Dr Stephanie Evers and Luke Andrews from the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Liverpool John Moors University, whose generosity, knowledge sharing and guidance has set me off in the right direction and allowed me to safely traverse some tricky conditions.
Annie O’Neil, Sue Flowers and the team at Contemporary Visual Arts Network North West Culture and Nature Champions Pilot and Neil Harris, Business Manager - Culture, Arts and Heritage, Wigan Council. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to meet and engage with talented artists, scientists and conservationists who all share a passion for preserving, restoring and deepening our relationship with the natural world.
