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
4 days ago3 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
7 days ago1 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