This is the most likely response when I try explaining my new day-to-day. Surprisingly a bog isn’t exactly what people imagine of a conservation job.

True, it might sound like conservation’s Shreck in a world of princess films. Yes, I’m aware he lived in a swamp, but you get the idea. Bogs are often seen as damp, cold and ugly places and rarely seen for the unsung heroes of nature and climate recovery they are.

So, what is a peat bog? Well, I’ll try and explain what I’ve learnt so far in my role as Peat Project Intern but, be warned, no words or pictures can truly explain to you the beauty that is a peat bog.

A Blanket Bog

Yorkshire Peat Partnership mainly works on blanket bogs. Blanket bogs are found in the uplands and lay over the landscape like, you guessed it, a blanket. They are only fed by rainwater making them nutrient poor. Specialist plant species cover the ground and it’s these that form peat.

The star of the blanket bog show is Sphagnum moss. This little bryophyte is key to re-vegetating the peat and restoring stability.

Up on the bog, the view is never-ending (unless you’re in a cloud). Sphagnum mosses are joined by cottongrasses swaying in the wind, dwarf shrubs flowering, and interesting plants hidden amongst it all; one of the most interesting is the carnivorous sundew.  

I haven’t had a day yet where I haven’t been walking along to the sound of meadow pipits; hearing curlews overhead, which is a brilliant thing since this is a species in decline; lapwings screaming at us for so much as being anywhere near the bog they call home. Once, I saw a short-eared owl – was I happy I remembered my binoculars that day!

The invertebrate population, particularly spiders, seem to want to escape the bog as I acquire a few on my clothing with every visit. At 700 m high, I’ve seen bees working away and wondered how they survive the wind and everchanging weather.

Is the bog different from what you imagined yet?

Like Shrek, it’s unconventional but the best! 

Why did I want to work on a bog?

Of all the areas of conservation, why a bog? The description above is all the beauty of a peat bog but the truth is a lot are in a degraded state and therefore aren’t storing carbon; they are losing it in fact. Therefore, they need restoration.

Restoring a peat bog is not only a conservation project, it’s a community one. An active peat bog can store carbon and take it out of our atmosphere, can slow down vast quantities of water to reducing flooding, the restoration can stop the peat contaminating water supplies, it can provide a specialist habitat for wildlife and plants, and an income opportunity for landowners and jobs for local contractors.

I wanted to be part of such an incredible project the second I was made aware. My interest in soil and its ability to store carbon and support life led me to discover peat. I wanted to learn more about how restoring nature can decrease climate change and provide a habitat for wildlife.

The idea that part of the answer to some of the issues facing the environment lies in the ground on top of a hill in Yorkshire astounds and humbles me.

As mentioned, I’m very new to the bog life. In fact, I’m New to Nature.

In a previous life (only four months ago), I worked in a factory and only had the ambition of changing career – a seemingly unlikely ambition.

But an opportunity arose at the project I wanted to work on; the opportunity to be a part of a programme called New to Nature and work at YPP.

New to Nature (N2N) is a programme rolled out across the UK by a partnership of Groundwork, The Prince’s Trust, Disability Rights UK, and Mission Diverse. Its purpose is to give the opportunity to young people to gain a role in the environment sector regardless of their background.

N2N aims to break down barriers that might stop someone entering the sector, and provide training and support. These opportunities are rare not only in the environment sector but in general. N2N is an incredible programme and I seriously hope it continues and encourages others!

I’m completely new to the sector, the bog, and an awful lot more but with the help of the YPP team, my mentor from Groundwork and the training provided, I’m learning every day and faster than I ever thought possible!

I haven’t had a bad day yet and some wise words said to me in my first week are proving to be true ‘welcome to the place where everyone is sickeningly happy in their jobs’.

My day-to-day

I’ve learned an array of new skills, most interesting of which has been the species identification. I’ve enjoyed most learning about the relationship between the habitat and its inhabitants. How they influence and support each other and inform us as to the state of the peat, its hydrology and past management. I find it forever fascinating how ecosystems rely on one another and this extends to the ground that supports them.

Going out to monitor and survey Yorkshire’s peatlands is part of my role. These days usually include a good drive followed by a good hike. The team and I complete the jobs of the day and I try my best not to get distracted by every little thing. Like being in a cloud! We usually have lunch outside and when all the jobs are done, we walk back down into the valley to the winding roads of the Yorkshire Dales.

As a newbie

As a complete newcomer to YPP and YWT, I can’t express to you enough the work that’s going on behind the scenes by caring and dedicated people. I see it every day. The awareness of peatlands and their role in nature recovery is growing due to their dedication.

If I can leave you with one thought let it be that it’s never too late to contribute to a wilder world and a peat bog is a beautiful place to start.