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Put your hand up if you love being on the bog 
the PEAT bog, obviously 
Theyâre vital for our climate yet still being drained
So hereâs a bit about why nature-watching on bogs is fun, what makes them great for wildlife & why we really *really* need them 
(1/10)
the PEAT bog, obviously Theyâre vital for our climate yet still being drained
So hereâs a bit about why nature-watching on bogs is fun, what makes them great for wildlife & why we really *really* need them (1/10)
(2/10) Iâve always had a soft spot for bogs. Some of my best nature-watching experiences have come from days spent on mires, mosses & other peatlands. Discovering bog orchids and making friends with this keeled skimmer dragonfly were two of my favourite encounters
(3/10) The smell of a peat bog is unmistakeable: rich, earthy & damp. Bending down you see raft spiders, bright yellow bog asphodel, glistening sundews, four-spotted chaser dragonflies & soggy, squishy cushions of one of the worldâs greatest wonders: Sphagnum moss
(4/10) Sphagnum mosses form wobbly rafts of auburn, lime & russet that bubble & gurgle. Putting your hands in is a delightful experience 
These plants rely on rain for nutrients & act as sponges to retain water. In doing so they create the conditions required to form peat
These plants rely on rain for nutrients & act as sponges to retain water. In doing so they create the conditions required to form peat
(5/10) Waterlogged ground is low in oxygen. Organisms that break down dead plants require plenty of oxygen to do so, so when plants die in a waterlogged bog they donât fully decay. Instead they layer up, one dead Sphagnum after another, which very very slowly forms peat
(6/10) Now, because the plants canât decay, all the carbon they removed from the atmosphere during their lives is trapped in the peat. The UKâs peat-forming bogs store way more carbon than our forests do (though theyâre slower to capture it from the atmosphere)
(7/10) On top of that, Sphagnum soaks up many times its own dry weight in water (very useful for preventing flooding) and these mosses actually clean that water by removing nutrients. A lot of our drinking water in the UK is initially captured and cleaned by Sphagnum in peat bogs
(8/10) But to perform these functions, peat *must* be wet. When land is drained, peat dries out & starts emitting stored carbon. Burning moorland to create habitat for grouse also releases carbon trapped in peat 
These practices are categorically terrible for our environment 
These practices are categorically terrible for our environment
(9/10) Another problem is peat harvesting for use in compost. If you love gardening you can make a difference by buying peat-free compost, making your own compost or only buying plants that havenât grown in peat. I donât have any compost photos so here are some ponies by a bog 
(10/10) So bogs are amazing places that we need to protect: for nature, for their ecosystem services & for the environment. So get yourself on the bog (be careful though, theyâre delicate places & you never know how deep they are) and get your hands in some squishy Sphagnums!
