S5E5: Protecting Our Peatlands

In this episode, Daithí speaks to Hugh McLindon, the District Conservation Officer with the National Parks and Wildlife Service for Wicklow. They cover lots of ground, from what makes a peatland, to how they come to exist and the realities of bog restoration in Ireland. With the NWPS doing lots of work on restoring the Special Area of Conservation in the Wicklow National Park, Hugh tells Daithí about his own experience as a Park Ranger and the shift in culture that he has seen in his 30 years of working with the NPWS, a shift that has given him great hope for the future and enthusiasm for the work being done! Thanks very much to Sorcha O'Carolan Murphy for support with research, design and promotion. Links: NPWS Website: https://www.npws.ie/ Blanket Bogs in Ireland Factsheet: https://www.ipcc.ie/a-to-z-peatlands/peatland-habitat-types/blanket-bogs/ Raised Bogs in Ireland Factsheet: https://www.ipcc.ie/a-to-z-peatlands/peatland-habitat-types/raised-bogs/ Ireland referred to EU court for failure to protect peatlands: https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2024/03/13/ireland-referred-to-eu-court-for-failure-to-protect-bog-lands-and-curb-turf-extraction/ SUAS Project: https://suaseipproject.ie/ Special Areas of Conservation SAC map Ireland https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/sac#:~:text=Special%20Areas%20of%20Conservation%20(SAC)%20are%20prime%20wildlife%20conservation%20areas,well%20as%20an%20Irish%20level.