Arlo the Adventure Cat sent Geography Cat some photographs of his family walks in the beautiful peat moorland area of Marsden Moor. This National Trust estate is around two and half thousand hectares and sits between West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester in the north of England.
The moor receives plentiful rainfall and has been used for its water supply since the surrounding urban areas began to grow larger during the Industrial Revolution. more recently managed using reservoirs such as Blackmoorfoot and Scammonden. With so much water around, it’s hard to reconcile that Marsden Moor also suffers large scale fires:
Peat is an extremely important natural resource which needs careful management. It is a vital store of carbon. Therefore, when fires ravage peat moorlands there is a double cost, firstly in terms of the carbon released into the atmosphere, and secondly because of the loss of potential future storage. Peat moorland also creates important habitats for species that would not thrive elsewhere, and preserves archaeological evidence extremely well.
You may be surprised to see Arlo enjoying a stroll here as Marsden Moor is a site of special scientific interest, and a special protection area. However, like his canine family members, Arlo isn’t here unsupervised, and isn’t roaming completely free. He and his human companions always follow the Countryside Code. Geography Cat urges you to do the same, please enjoy the outdoors, respect other people and protect the natural environment.
Thank you so much to Arlo the Adventure Cat and his team for allowing Geography Cat to use these photographs to promote the importance of peat moorland and remind people of the Countryside Code. Arlo’s adventures can be followed via his Facebook page and Instagram.
Peat bogs are critical to keeping Carbon in the ground. Peat bogs and swamps around the world have been destroyed for water resources, garden products and been heavily grazed by livestock. When peat dries out, it can catch fire. Here on the Kapiti Coast, Lower North Island of New Zealand where I live, Friends of Queen Elizabeth Park are planning to channel waterways back to the peat areas to re-wet and preserve them. This has been made possible due to research into the hydrology of the dune aquifers and surrounding catchment areas. See http://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/council-publications/Environment%20Management_20030611_095644.pdf.