Nattergal: Lowland Peatland Restoration

Summary

High Fen is a lowland peatland restoration project in the Fens (https://www.nattergal.com/high-fen-wildland), where Nattergal’s plans to rewet the landscape and increase biodiversity are well underway. On this tour we'll take a deep dive into our restoration plans - from the science behind our vision, to the groundworks required for implementation.

Description

Nattergal’s second site is High Fen in Norfolk, a 292-hectare grassland in the Fens. Until 2007, the land at High Fen was farmed for arable and daffodil growing. But despite the deep and peaty soils, it was too wet and difficult to farm commercially and was sold. The next owners together with Natural England did a fantastic job to transform High Fen into a seasonally wet grassland, before selling it to Nattergal in December 2022. At Nattergal, what we see is a relatively species-rich site but with largely one habitat type. With a few tweaks, natural capital investment and the reinstatement of natural processes, we will deliver a unique and wonderful habitat mosaic and wetland system in the Fens. We will also build a project that cleans water as it filters through the habitats and prevents carbon emissions through rewetting the peat.



Working with the Centre for Landscape Regeneration, a project being delivered by the Centre of Hydrology and Ecology at the University of Cambridge, we have discovered that our species abundance is poor and concentrated around water. Getting more of High Fen wet for longer will allow species richness to spill out. Beyond biodiversity, we have also measured the distribution and depth of our peatland, which urgently needs to be preserved as a vital carbon store. We have established that 40% of our wildland contains peat, which if left to dry out distributes carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Rewetting the peat and securing the storage of carbon dioxide is a major priority. We are currently installing sub-surface bunds lined with clay at strategic positions across the site, which will stop the lateral flow of water in targeted areas of the site, allowing us to saturate the ground and reap the rewards.

Frank Street is the High Fen Wildland manager and will be leading the tour. Frank’s commitment to wildlife conservation began with a degree in Animal Science. He then volunteered at a local wildlife hospital and the RSPB, which paved the way for his career as a field surveyor in an ecological consultancy. In tandem, he worked as a practical instructor at a local college, before becoming a ranger for Essex Wildlife Trust. Most recently, he took on a management position with Basildon Council, overseeing a team of nine and more than 20 sites. In his spare time, Frank is a keen birder holding a 'C' Bird ringer license.

Knowledge Level

Suitable for all

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