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Shetland Peatland Project Nominated for Award

Published: 07 September 2016

The Shetland Peatland Restoration Project, run by Shetland Amenity Trust’s Peatland Project Officer, Sue White, has been shortlisted for an RSPB Nature of Scotland Award. 

The RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards are designed to recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in Scottish nature conservation.  The Shetland Peatland Restoration project, which has been shortlisted in the Innovation category, was funded by Scottish Natural Heritage’s “Peatland Action” and has been working to assist land managers and common grazing committees in assessing peatland conditions and practical peatland restoration projects since 2014. 

 The Shetland Amenity Trust Woodlands Team and local contractor, Sean Mackenzie have carried out the practical tasks of the project at Hazel and Kenneth MacKenzies’ apportionment north of Cunningsburgh and Richard Briggs apportionment on the East Kame.  The land has been transformed through peat dam construction, re-profiling eroding hags and re-vegetating bare peat. This has been achieved partly through the innovative use of locally available waste materials from the salmon farming industry.

The final of the 2016 Nature of Scotland Awards will take place on Thursday, 24 November at the prestigious Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh and will be hosted by BBC wildlife presenter Chris Packham.