One of our Heritage Horizon Awards, Peatland Progress will bring together the north and south ‘halves’ of the Great Fen to safeguard biodiversity. 

The project is run by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, and is extending the UK’s first major experiment in wet farming. This sustainable approach will keep carbon locked up, improve water quality, transform the landscape and secure the future for people, peat soils and wildlife in the Fens. 

Aerial view of the Great Fen. Credit: Henry Stanier

There will be new jobs, training and a range of community activities. The project will connect young people experiencing mental health issues with nature, giving them the confidence to know that small changes can make a big difference. 

We want to bring communities into the heart of the Great Fen, showing people that climate change is being tackled on their doorstep and empowering them to take action.

Kate Carver, Great Fen Project Manager

Kate Carver, Great Fen Project Manager, said: “Our project tackles some of the biggest challenges of the day ‒ climate change, biodiversity loss and the anxieties of the next generation in our post Covid world. Peatland Progress will bring genuine improvement to people’s lives.

“We want to bring communities into the heart of the Great Fen, showing people that climate change is being tackled on their doorstep and empowering them to take action.”