Last updated: June 2024
The Carbon Landscape is a pioneering project in landscape restoration in Wigan, Warrington and Salford. Led by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, it will revitalize a landscape left devastated by decades of coal-mining and peat extraction (Ref 5). It works to restore key habitats and reconnect local people with their unique natural heritage, preserving it for future generations. The restoration of the peat base to lowland raised bog provided an opportunity for carbon sequestration and storage (Ref 1). There is a strong vision to reconnect local people with their rich natural heritage, creating opportunities and a sense of pride in the local area (Ref 4).
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Conversion of former industrial areas
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Improvements to water quality
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Preservation of natural heritage
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
Focus
Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Transformation of previously derelict areas
Project objectives
The Carbon Landscape aimed to develop a new community-focused approach to the restoration of a landscape transformed by heavy industries such as coal mining, peat extraction and steel production (ref. 7);
The project has 3 broad objectives (ref 5)
1. Restoration – to continue restoring a derelict landscape ensuring connectivity and resilience
2. Access – to reconnect people to the landscape
3. Understanding – to raise awareness and develop community ownership in the landscape
Other goals of project:
- Research and wildlife surveys to strengthen ecological networks and climate change resilience (Ref 2);
-reduce wildfire risk: When large areas of peat between these major cities in the North West dry out, they become fire hazards (Ref 8);
-A number of initiatives within the Carbon Landscape portfolio aimed to contribute to improved water quality, increased flood resilience and improved biodiversity and will be developed in association with Natural Course partners (ref. 7).
Implementation activities
Some activities from the project will include: (All from ref 2)
• Major landscape restoration programme (restoration of the peat base to lowland raised bog Ref 1)
• Creation of a Landscape Traineeship Scheme
• Improved and increased volunteering opportunities through a training and rewards and recognition programme
• Research and wildlife surveys to strengthen ecological networks and climate change resilience
• Improved access through the landscape with the development of the Carbon Trail
• Increased appreciation of the importance of our landscape and the role carbon plays in its creation, exploitation and restoration
When large areas of peat between these major cities in the North West dry out, they become fire hazards. This project restored these rare habitats, allowing them to soak up and store rainwater. Re-wetting the bogs reduced the risks of fires, such as those that were ravaging Saddleworth Moors. (Ref 8)
- A number of initiatives within the Carbon Landscape portfolio aimed to contribute to improved water quality, increased flood resilience and improved biodiversity and will be developed in association with Natural Course partners (ref. 7)
- 7,000 plants have been added to Little Woolden Moss, Salford, in week-long effort to improve the landscape (ref. 2)
- The planting project has consisted of adding hare’s-tail cottongrass and cross-leaved heath to the site, both typical plants of a healthy lowland peat bog (ref. 2)
• Research and wildlife surveys to strengthen ecological networks and climate change resilience (Ref 2);
The restoration of the peat base to lowland raised bog (Ref 1) ; reduce wildfire risk: When large areas of peat between these major cities in the North West dry out, they become fire hazards. This project restored these rare habitats, allowing them to soak up and store rainwater. Re-wetting the bogs reduced the risks of fires, such as those that were ravaging Saddleworth Moors. (Ref 8) increased flood resilience and improved biodiversity and will be developed in association with Natural Course partners (ref. 7)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Restore wetlands and/or coastal ecosystems to dissipate the effects of flooding and/or storms
- Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore native species
- Restore valued species
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- National-level government
- Local government/Municipality
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Researchers/university
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The Carbon Landscape project is led by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, as part of the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership.
Project leads are: The University of Manchester's School of Environment, Education and Development, Wigan Council, Warrington Council, Salford Council, City of Trees, Greater Manchester Ecology Unit, Healthy Rivers Trust, Woolston Eyes Conservation Group, Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles.
Other stakeholders: Environment Agency, Natural England. (Ref 5)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Other
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Other
Economic impacts
- Stimulate development in deprived areas
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Protection of natural heritage
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Lancashire Manchester North Merseyside. (n.d). Transforming Landscapes. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
2. Lancashire Manchester North Merseyside. (2018). 7,000 plants added as part of restoration work on local peatland. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
3. Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub. (2017). North West Industrial Heritage to be Restored. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
4. Carbon Landscape. (n.d.). About. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
5. The University of Manchester. (n.d.). The Carbon Landscape. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
6. Carbon Landscape Citizen Science Project. (n.d.) Introduction. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 18 July 2020)
7. Natural Course. (2017). The Carbon Landscape Project Launch. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 18 July 2020)
8. Source link. (2018). First major Carbon Landscape restoration project is officially opened. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 18 July 2020)
2. Lancashire Manchester North Merseyside. (2018). 7,000 plants added as part of restoration work on local peatland. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
3. Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub. (2017). North West Industrial Heritage to be Restored. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
4. Carbon Landscape. (n.d.). About. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
5. The University of Manchester. (n.d.). The Carbon Landscape. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 8 July 2020)
6. Carbon Landscape Citizen Science Project. (n.d.) Introduction. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 18 July 2020)
7. Natural Course. (2017). The Carbon Landscape Project Launch. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 18 July 2020)
8. Source link. (2018). First major Carbon Landscape restoration project is officially opened. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 18 July 2020)