More than 99.9 per cent of Britain’s fenlands have been alarmingly devastated. Thanks to the farmers, who are letting the onions, potatoes and cereals eat away the lands for centuries. But can the age-old destruction of the wetlands be reversed?
Braving their hopes, one of Britain’s most ambitious conservation projects is trying to stop huge stores of carbon dioxide in the peat being released every year.
The Great Fen Project is now close to holding 75-80 per cent of the 3,700 hectares (9,100 acres) it needs between Huntingdon and Peterborough. Organizers are already up with their gloves in a bid to turn some fields back into wild wetlands. And, the recent sightings of marsh harriers and more skylarks, they believe, are early signs of their efforts’ success.
This huge wetland is predicted to be able to offset an equivalent amount of carbon that is produced by 20,000 cars a year.
But, can this century-old devastated habitat be recreated or the centuries-old erosion be reversed? Don’t know.
But, what is known is that it is especially important to halt the relentless destruction at this time, as it is now; Britain is struggling to reduce carbon emissions leading to global warming.