Bleaklow To Bloom Again
Gardening by helicopter seems to be the answer to the fire damage caused to Bleaklow earlier this year, but it's going to take a while for the flora to be restored
Posted: 19 June 2003
by Jon
The Peak District Park Authority is starting a new project to
repair some of the fire damage to Bleaklow's heather moorland and wet
bog areas.
A huge swathe of the Peak District hill was incinerated during the
recent dry spell, now the Moors for the Future project is beginning
the process of restoring the ground flora. The work is due to start
with 110 hectares of the worst damaged areas.
Initially helicopters are being used to spread lime and fertiliser
on the ground to prepare for and encourage plant growth and
re-vegetation. Phase two will be to seed the area using a radical new
technique.
Project manager Chris Dean explains: "A fast growing grass seed
mix along with heather seeds will be spread over the site. These are
embedded in pellets of re-cycled paper pulp which will make them
easier to disperse and help 'anchor' them to the bare peat. As the
grass grows it will knit the surface of the bare peat together
helping prevent erosion by the wind and rain and giving the heather a
chance to establish itself."
The heather itself will take from five to ten years to re-grow.
Steps will also be taken to prevent further erosion of the damaged
areas including "blocking gullies around the bare peat and using
geotextiles to help halt further erosion."
The project is being organised by Defra, English Nature, the
National Park Authority, United Utilities and supported by the
Heritage Lottery Fund.
Discuss this story
I can't think of anything more pointless than the thousands of pounds this operation will cost. I'm quite certain that the vegetation would quite happily recolonise the site just as quickly by itself. How do they think the moorland recovered after previous fires? And when will people accept that fires are, by and large, good? It prevent land becoming overgrown. When fire burns back vegetation, a whole new raft of species can grow as the land progresses back to how it was. Great for diversity.
Posted: 20/06/2003 at 13:23
.....and so the natural change in the environment happens. "fast growing grass" - mm! doesn't sound very natural to me. fire is natural. the landscape changes as nature finds the best balance of life to colonise it. intervening and screwing it up only stores up future problems. waste of money.
Posted: 20/06/2003 at 17:02
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