• July 10, 2024

LIFE Multi Peat project team meeting in Poland

In order to effectively implement project activities, it is useful to regularly take stock of the project's progress and to exchange experiences and knowledge. This was the purpose of the last meeting of the MultiPeat project team. This time the meeting took place in Poland, organised by the Naturalists’ Club (Klub Przyrodników) with the support of the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (Ogólnopolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków). 

More than 20 people representing 7 partners from 5 countries came to Krakow on 12-14 June. Discussions focused, among other things, on the effectiveness of various peatland restoration techniques and the optimisation of monitoring programmes carried out under the project - including monitoring of habitats and greenhouse gas emissions.  The scope of project activities such as the analysis of the EU Common Agricultural Policy with regard to the protection and restoration of peatlands in the agricultural landscape, the creation of the Petland Policy Portal and the development of carbon offsets and credits in partners countries were also agreed. 

The meeting was also an opportunity to visit the Natura 2000 site ‘Torfowiska Orawsko-Nowotarskie’ (one of the largest complexes of raised bogs in the country and the largest of such in the Polish Carpathian Mountains), where the Polish project partners will implement actions related to the restoration of drained peatlands. During the field visit, the scope of the planned active peatland protection works was discussed, as well as the adopted methods for blocking ditches and removing unwanted vegetation from the area of the domes. The presence of project partners from so many countries certainly fostered a diversity of ideas and opinions. Krakow's Old Town and the Polish raised bogs enchanted visitors from Western Europe.