Dumfries & Galloway has a very important part to play in Scotland’s Peatland story. Around 20% of Scotland’s peatland (with carbon rich soils and deep peat habitats) can be found in our region, with approximately one third of the region as a whole classed as ‘Peatland’. Scotland’s peat soils are our largest terrestrial store of carbon and hold around 140 years’ worth of Scotland’s national greenhouse gas emissions.
Event: 03 August, 1pm-4pm, Knowetop Lochs, near Balmaclellan
The ‘Peatland Connections’ project is now underway, seeking to use art and science to reconnect rural communities, scientists, land managers and policymakers with our beautiful peatlands. The project is exploring the functions peatlands provide now and exploring how we can better measure and account for these functions through today’s complex world of land use decisions. For more information about the project, visit the project website here: https://www.peatlandconnections.com/.
On Tuesday 3rd of August, at 1pm, the team from the Peatland Connections Project, supported by peat-inspired artists, will be leading a walk across the Knowetop Lochs Nature Reserve near Balmaclellan.
Due to the need to manage attendance closely, any interested attendees are asked to register for free here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/discovering-your-peatlands-tickets-159951791113
Dr Kerry Morrison from In-Situ Artists and present on the day, said:
“Walking in a peat landscape is an experience that can tantalise our senses. Through looking, listening, touching, smelling, and tasting, we can gain an understanding about peat that extends beyond the scientific. When we combine the scientific with the felt and experienced, our capacity to connect to a landscape and begin to understand it is greatly deepened.”
Jayne Murdoch, the Peatland Connections Project Officer added:
“Sound artist Helmut Lemke and Environment artist Kerry Morrison will walk with us over the peatland, focusing in on how our senses make sense of the peat beneath our feet and the life it supports. Dr Emily Taylor will be looking at the importance of healthy peatlands, restoration and the positive impact of both. It promises to be a fascinating morning and if you’d like to join us, please book a place!”
