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NEWS AND BLOG
Bernd Haynold
If you have something you would like to share with the community please send it to paludiculture@niab.com. Remember to include high resolution pictures and figures if appropriate.


Wet Meadows and the Future of Paludiculture: Join the Paludi4All European Workshop
Wet meadows are often celebrated for their biodiversity value and cultural importance, but their role in climate mitigation and sustainable biomass production is only just beginning to receive the attention it deserves. This June, researchers, practitioners and policymakers from across Europe will come together in Poland for a dedicated Paludi4All workshop on wet meadows, focusing on paludiculture approaches, biomass use, and the development of viable value chains. The Paludi

Douglas Hobbs
2 days ago2 min read


Upcoming events for the paludiculture & peatland community | Late May – Early June 2026
The next few weeks offer a great opportunity to engage with others working on peatland management, paludiculture and climate‑positive land use — from practical on‑farm learning to national and international knowledge‑sharing. A Journey to Net Zero & Beyond: Livestock Farming on Peatland Thursday 28 May | Stone Ends Farm, Hesket Newmarket This inspiring on‑farm event explores how livestock farming systems on peat soils can move beyond net zero while remaining productive and pr

Douglas Hobbs
May 72 min read


Case study: Developing the business case: Building markets for wetland crops through whole chain innovation
The Paludiculture Exploration Fund (PEF) is helping transform how the UK manages, values and commercialises wetland crops grown on rewetted peat. This case study explores how PEF-funded projects highlights how whole-chain working has enabled innovation in textiles, construction and horticulture, while also tackling the practical barriers that must be addressed to scale these solutions.

Douglas Hobbs
May 16 min read


Paludiculture – who, what, where?
See how paludiculture projects have developed in Germany over the past 25 years! A new GMC publication systematically documents and evaluates 146 projects. The new GMC paper ' The Development of the Paludiculture Project Landscape – An Overview and Analysis in Germany ' (German only) shows: Of the total of 146 projects examined from the past 25 years, the first initiatives began as early as the 1990s – even before the term 'paludiculture' was coined in 1998. However, more tha

Greifswald Moor Centrum
Apr 32 min read


Why Wetter Peatlands Matter: A Fresh Look at the UK’s Path to Climate Ready Landscapes
A new policy‑focused document from the University of Leicester, based on the research of Zoe Lipkens, Towards Wetter Peatland Landscapes for Climate, People and Nature, sets out how rewetting these landscapes—and embracing “wetter farming” through paludiculture—can help the UK meet climate targets while supporting farmers, communities, and nature.

Douglas Hobbs
Mar 202 min read


New Research Shows Paludiculture Could Boost Farm Productivity and Nature Recovery
A growing body of evidence is showing what many in the paludiculture community have long suspected: wetter farming doesn’t just help cut carbon emissions—it can also create thriving habitats for wildlife. A new study led by the RSPB and the Centre for Landscape Regeneration at the University of Cambridge , published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence (2026) , has found that paludiculture sites support bird communities that are richer, more abundant, and more diverse than t

Douglas Hobbs
Mar 123 min read


Exploring Peatland Perceptions and the Promise of Paludiculture
My name is Felix Brockley-Hatch, and I’m currently completing a Master of Arts and Sciences (MASC) at the London Interdisciplinary School. My research centres on peatland perceptions—how people understand, value, and emotionally connect with these unique and often overlooked landscapes. Evies Pictures As I begin developing my project, I am especially interested in how paludiculture can help us reshape human–landscape relationships. I want to investigate how paludiculture can

Felix Brockley-Hatch
Mar 91 min read


From Farm to Factory: How a New Bio-Based Model Is Redefining the Future of Construction
This might seem a little left-field to the usual content on this site, but the themes discussed in this YouTube presentation are relevant to paludiculture because Chloe Donovan’s work sits at the crossroads of agriculture, material supply chains, and low-carbon construction, consistently exploring how natural, plant-based materials can support new rural income sources and local manufacturing models. https://youtu.be/YPRwUz29PYI?si=DePxU3nSC3tj9gLm 1:1 scale cross-section of a

Douglas Hobbs
Mar 35 min read


Exploring New Lowland Peat Funding Opportunities
On Wednesday, 25 February, Defra’s Lowland Peat Team will host two webinars introducing the new grant schemes, which will run until 2030. This is a key opportunity to understand how new government support can help farm businesses adapt their business while protecting the long-term viability of England’s peat landscapes. Read more and register here England’s lowland peatlands cover around 250,000 hectares, making them some of the most productive yet environmentally vulnerabl

Douglas Hobbs
Feb 192 min read


Paludiculture: A Climate Smart Future for Wet Peatlands
A recent publication shows that paludiculture offers a sustainable, climate-smart alternative capable of reducing environmental impacts while creating new economic opportunities. It ultimately provides a practical, forward-looking pathway that addresses climate change, supports biodiversity, and strengthens rural economies—a genuine win-win-win. Link >> Jim Morefield Whilst redesigning and adding content to the paludiculture website resources page, I came across a recently p

Douglas Hobbs
Feb 132 min read


Broadly Speaking — Broads National Park Podcast
At the Managing Carbon and Water in Lowland Landscapes Conference, the Broads Authority unveiled Broadly Speaking, a new podcast series created through a Defra‑funded project aimed at building a peatland community and tackling one of the region’s most pressing environmental challenges: cutting greenhouse gas emissions from 2,000 hectares of drained peat soils. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/322tik3SHtt2h4UTTsCoAb Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/broads-authority App

Douglas Hobbs
Jan 262 min read


Building a Peatland-Positive Future: Funding and Policy Updates for 2026–2030
England’s peatlands are on the brink of transformation. These landscapes hold the key to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, boosting biodiversity, and building farm resilience. With the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2025 setting bold restoration targets and new funding streams announced for 2026–2030. For more information, see the Defra Lowland Peat Newsletter The Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2025 , published on 1 December, aims to rest

Douglas Hobbs
Dec 19, 20252 min read


Unlocking Typha: How to Boost Fibre Production to Create Sustainable Textiles
A summary of the excellent webinar presented by Islam Abdel-Aziz, exploring how to increase Typha latifolia seed‑head production to boost fibre yields. A copy of the slides used in this webinar can be downloaded as a PDF here>> To make wetlands work for farmers and the climate, we need wet‑grown crops that are productive, reliable, and simple to manage. The latest ADAS trials with Typha latifolia (common cattail) explore how planting density, depth, rhizome maturity, and in

Douglas Hobbs
Dec 10, 20255 min read


Strengthening the Evidence Base for Peatland Policy in England
The IUCN UK Peatland Programme (IUCN UK PP) is pleased to launch the Expression of Interest (EOI) process for a major Defra-commissioned project: Strengthening the Evidence Base for Peatland Policy in England (November 2025–March 2027). As an individual or organisation involved in peatland restoration, IUCN UK PP invite you to review the topics proposed and submit an expression of interest if your organisation would like to be involved. This substantial review aims to synthe

Douglas Hobbs
Dec 4, 20252 min read


Peatlands: England’s Hidden Climate Heroes
Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 - GOV.UK . When we think about climate action, forests and renewable energy often steal the spotlight. But beneath our feet lies one of the most powerful natural tools for tackling climate change: peatlands . These waterlogged landscapes store more carbon than all the world’s forests combined. Yet, when degraded, they release greenhouse gases, turning from climate allies into climate culprits. That’s why the UK government’s Environmental Im

Douglas Hobbs
Dec 2, 20252 min read


Immersive Virtual Drone Planting Experience
ARU-Peterbough are giving a free opportunity to experience drone planting in the environment and for agriculture. Time & Location 05 Dec 2025, 13:30 Peterborough Research Innovation Centre, Bishop's Rd, Peterborough PE1, UK Booking will close on Tues 2 nd Dec 5pm, places are limited. To book email Joanna.Bellett-Travers@aru.ac.uk , The Head of Agri and Environment Drones SIG for ARPAS-UK, will be at the event to answer questions. The Immersive Virtual Drone Planting Event wi

Douglas Hobbs
Dec 2, 20251 min read


Paludiculture Gains European Spotlight on Euronews
Euronews highlights the Palus Demos project at Ballaghurt Bog, demonstrating paludiculture’s potential to align peatland rewetting with economically viable biomass production. Paludiculture — the productive use of wet soils — is emerging as a transformative approach to farming across Europe, with promising benefits for both agriculture and water quality. This potential was recently highlighted in The Road to Green , a Euronews TV series hosted by Cyril Fournier, which explore

Douglas Hobbs
Nov 7, 20251 min read


Recommended reading from Lancashire Wildlife Trust
Image: Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fashion’s hidden footprint and how peatlands can help Liv Symes from materials science company Ponda® explores the environmental cost of fast fashion and how their Biopuff® material is supporting peatland restoration in the North West. 🔗 https://www.lancswt.org.uk/blog/guest/fashions-hidden-footprint-and-how-peatlands-can-help Historic harvest underway for boggy bulrush trial in Manchester A blog from the end of September celebrating the fi

Douglas Hobbs
Oct 30, 20251 min read


Paludi4All promising species survey
The Paludi4All project is after some information to help them identify promising species and value chains that can support climate mitigation and rural development. To help them in this study, they would like you to complete their survey . The survey focuses on 13 species, or species‑groups, identified in prior research as having potential as paludiculture crops in temperate zones of Europe (Abel, S. & Kallweit, T. (2022) Potential Paludiculture Plants of the Holarctic. Pag

Douglas Hobbs
Oct 21, 20251 min read


The Fenland Flora: Survival against the odds
The Fenland Flora: Survival against the odds Webinar: Monday, November 17 1 – 2 pm Owen Mountford (joint coordinator with Jon Graham of the Fenland Flora project) is delivering a webinar that provides an overview of the Fenland Flora project. Since 2005, the project has been surveying the Fens, documenting the history and current state of wild plants, emphasising the region’s importance, especially for aquatic plants. Click here to register

Douglas Hobbs
Oct 14, 20251 min read
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