Belarus takes lead in peatland restoration

March 2011: A major peatlands recovery project underway in Belarus can point the way for future similar projects in Ireland.

WORK TO DO: Slieve Beagh in Ireland could  benefit from the sort of conservation methods being pioneered in Belarus

As one of the key speakers at the RSPB/Birdwatch Ireland All-Ireland conference, RSPB Head of European Programmes and International Biodiversity Policy, Dr Norbert Schaffer, will describe how 10,000 hectares of drained peatland in Belarus are being returned to health.

‘Forty to fifty years ago, this land was used for peat extraction and drained. The area was put to agricultural use and forestry, but without great success and was largely abandoned,' Dr Schaffer explains.

Vital stopovers for cranes and waders
Over the past ten years Dr Schaeffer and his team have rewetted large areas and look forward to the rejuvenation of a once vibrant, yet fragile ecosystem. Wetlands are vital migratory stopovers for cranes and attract waders such as the bittern and European curlew, as well as the greater spotted eagle.

‘It's a win-win situation. We're bringing biodiversity back and reducing carbon emissions significantly. Dried out peat emits huge amounts of carbon. This project is the equivalent of taking many thousands of cars off the road.'

Schaffer will tell how the project was carried out and its benefits to the people, environment and wildlife of the wider area. His Belarus story shows the conference theme in action; Futurescapes is a landscape-scale approach to conservation, designed to enhance not only local biodiversity, but also bring economic, leisure, agricultural and tourism benefits. Futurescape projects are underway in Northern Ireland.

Schaffer will be joined at Ireland's biggest wildlife conference by TV personalities Urban Gardener David Lindo and Dick Strawbridge from Scrapheap Challenge, the extreme recycling show, plus experts and enthusiasts from Bangor and Belmullet to Belarus. The programme also features activities for young people. For details go to www.rspb.org.uk/northernireland.