Surely #peatlands are one of the most beautiful winter habitats? 💚

We have started growing locally sourced sphagnum moss for our #peatland restoration work 🌿 😀 This follows a small trial at the end of last summer and subsequent advice from Gill at the Calderdale Sphagnum Project 💦 To find out how it grows, watch this space 👀

Low ground pressure tracks are important in #peatland restoration, so it was great to meet the manufacturers on site 😊

The strong easterly winds have been bitterly cold, but it's a good incentive to work hard and keep warm 🥶 #peat

👀Check out our latest blog about #peatlands and people, celebrating World Wetlands Day 💦😊 www.manxpeat.org/blog/peatlan... #wwd2026

#Peat restoration dogs 😁

An atmospheric day in the office today...at least it's not raining 😁

There was a resurgence of #peat cutting on the #IsleOfMan during the war, including the use of #internee labour. There was also a strike by workers complaining about the weather and the challenging work! See: www.linkedin.com/posts/manx-p...

There’s a fantastic photo of a cap woven from Polytrichum commune in Melanie Giles’ Bog Bodies book. I find it really fun that this moss was used to weave a cap that looks like hair, and its common name is haircap moss, but that’s not the reason why it’s just a coincidence!

#Peatlands provide a valuable record of the plants and animals found on the #IsleofMan since the end of the last glaciation ⬇️

The importance of #peatlands in #Manx culture is evident in the literature, art and music of the Island. This picture shows a couple sitting before an open 'chiollagh' or 'fireplace', where peat would have been burned for warmth and cooking 🔥

The old tracks from the days of #peat cutting are still visible on the #Manx hills if you know what to look for 👀 For more info see www.linkedin.com/company/manx... or www.facebook.com/profile.php?... #wwd2025 #yearofmanx

#Peat cutting was a big part of #Manx culture, but left it's mark on the hills ⬇️

Ever get the impression you're being watched 🤔

We're looking at the cultural history of #peatlands on the #IsleofMan for #WWD2026. This post considers the legislation around cutting for fuel⬇️ #yearofmanx

Well, my head is warm 😁 Going for the stylish look in the hills today 😂

Some cold photos before the snow completely disappears ❄️😊 👀Look out next week for our posts about the importance of peatlands for #Manx people past and present. From cutting peat for fuel🔥 to hill farming🐑 to enjoying upland wildlife🐦, we're keen to hear any peaty stories you have!

Following mountain hare tracks in the snow 🐾 🐇on my way back from a #peatland site visit today....☺️

We'll be looking at ways, past and present, that #Manx people value #peatlands

A full(ish) moon, dramatic morning skies and birds sheltering from the storm....senses filled and mind quietened (for a few hours at least 🤣)

A nice slow way to start the new year...even if it is wet and windy, I've found a nice rocky overhang to shelter under and enjoy the view 😊

The hills are pretty soggy after lots of rain recently💦 It's good to see that our newly installed peat bunds are working, creating shallow pools of water in an area that has just been reprofiled. These pools will help to keep the peat wet and provide a nice habitat for wildlife 🐦🦋

Some nice #peat video clips 😊

Perfect #peatland weather 😂

What a day 😃 Checking on #peat restoration work, with sun, snow and no wind...so rare 😂

Although our work is focussed on restoring natural #peatland habitats, it's also great to remember that there is a wealth of human history in these hills😊 It's important to retain these cultural connections to the landscape, while also trying to restore natural habitats for future generations 🌿

A red-nose, cup-of-tea kind of a day today! Lovely ❄️

#Peatland restoration ❄️

A spot of night fishing last night at Peel #isleofman 😊

Looking 👀for advice on #peat pipes🙏 Pipe flow approx. 1.5m below surface, several roof collapses, one large (see photo). The source of water is from a fairly steep slope. Is there anything that can be done to reduce erosion and bring the water to the surface? Any ideas greatly appreciated 😊

Great to see interventions working😊 #peatland #restoration

Today is all about water 💦 Visiting our restoration sites after rain shows us how the ground is responding and can highlight any additional work needed. This small ditch was dammed to raise the water table in the surrounding peat. It's great to see how much the sphagnum moss is thriving🌿😁

So many reasons to love #sphagnum moss 😀

The importance of wet #peatland 💦

What a day 😍 #peatland rainbows 🌈

This wet area of #sphagnum moss has formed where water seeps out of the hillside 💦 The last two photos show the same feature after a week of no rain. In flatter places these sphagnum carpets sometimes hide a deeper pool of water, so if you like to keep your legs dry it's best to avoid them 😬

Sometimes my job looks like this 😂 #peatland restoration

Meet our contractors 🐶🐾 These two corgis are very experienced at #peatland restoration work and are highly skilled digger operators. They have the added advantage of having nice warm coats, ready for when the weather turns cold ❄️😊

#Peat and #whisky 😍

One of the best things about Autumn is the gorgeous colours 😍 This is the time of year where #sphagnum mosses become more vibrant and really stand out amongst other #peatland vegetation 💚 Cotton grass turns autumnal red and cladonia lichen (aka reindeer moss 🦌) adds a splash of white 😁

A family of shaggy ink cap mushrooms ☺️ #fungi

Sometimes simple interventions are all that are needed 😊 #peatland

Encouraging signs after #peatland disturbance....lots of #sphagnum 😊

Any suggestions for this interesting #fungi found on a #peatland restoration site 🤔 It caught my attention as it looks like it has the '3 legs of Mann' 🇮🇲 on it ☺️ #isleofman

Another guided walk in fabulous conditions 😂, this time for delegates at the Inter-island Environment Meeting #IIEM25 . We saw nothing of the surrounding hills 💚 but saw enough #peatland restoration, interesting fungi, mist and #sphagnum moss to keep everyone happy 💦🌿

Peat pipes can be really difficult to deal with, especially on steep, degraded #peatland 🤔

This piece of wood, likely hawthorn🌳 was found at the base of a #peat hag on Snaefell. Wet, acidic peat can preserve materials for a very long time. Without carbon-dating, it's impossible to tell exactly how long this wood has been buried, but it's likely to be THOUSANDS of years old 😮

Best thing about a rainy day...wizard chess in front of the fire 😊

Perfect weather to look around a #peatland restoration site 🤣

It was great to be joined on Friday by Gareth from www.conservefor.co.uk 😊 We had a look at some of our #peatland sites and discussed different restoration methods. Gareth has many years of experience in this type of work and was happy to share his ideas while on the Island 👍