Lancashire Wildlife Trust peat project receives £167,000 boost

The Veolia Environmental Trust has granted financing to help restore vital habitat for a newly reintroduced indigenous species. 

The water, waste and energy management company’s charitable arm — which has been supporting nature and climate projects for more than 25 years — will fund the recovery of a peat bog at Astley, in the northern English county. 

So far, more than 99% of the peatland has been drained and through current usage emits 112.8million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. The same as driving one car around the circumference of the Earth two-and-a-half times annually. 

Not only with the restoration work reverse this process, so peatland will begin to absorb CO2, it will provide a vital habitat for the Manchester Argus butterfly. Reintroduced to the region in 2020, it had been absent from the ecosystem for 150 years. In total, Veolia’s contributions tot he local area now amount to £1million. 

‘We are really excited to be able to acquire this land thanks to the vital funding from Veolia Environmental Trust. The site is another piece in the Greater Manchester peatland jigsaw and will help us create an ecological corridor for nature and wildlife to thrive,’ said Sarah Johnson, Head of Peatland Nature Recovery at the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. 

‘It will be especially important to our local population of Manchester argus butterflies that we were able to reintroduce to neighbouring Astley Moss SSSI, thanks to previous funding from Veolia Environmental Trust,’ she continued. ‘Without the support of funders like Veolia Environmental Trust we simply wouldn’t be able to make this tangible difference for nature.’

More on habitat restoration:

https://environmentjournal.online/headlines/river-thames-scheme-nature-assessments/

https://environmentjournal.online/features-opinion/inside-the-exhibition-using-poetry-and-photography-to-restore-nature/

Image: Lancashire Wildlife Trust / Steve Rawlins, Chester Zoo