A new peatland restoration trial has been launched using locally sourced wool on Slievenanee Mountain in the Antrim hills. The trial has been organised by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and Ulster Wildlife, working alongside Sustainable Rope Ltd, Ulster Wool and Ulster University.

The project involved the installation of 60 “wool logs” on areas of exposed and eroded blanket bog, making it the largest trial of wool logs in Northern Ireland to date.

Wool logs are made from scoured fleece compacted into wool textile sacks and are designed to slow water flow, trap sediment and support the re-establishment of peat-forming vegetation such as sphagnum moss.

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Potential alternative

Wool as a material has already shown promising results in peatland trials in other parts of the United Kingdom, particularly in upland sites in Scotland and northern England, where it has been used to stabilise eroding peat and retain moisture. It acts as a potential alternative to imported coir, a natural fibre extracted from coconuts, often sourced from south-east Asia and commonly used in peatland restoration.

Protected landscape

The site at Slievenanee lies within the Antrim Hills Special Protection Area (SPA), an internationally important protected landscape designated for its upland bird populations and the habitats that support them.

However, significant weathering and erosion over time have left areas of bare peat where vegetation has struggled to recover naturally. The introduction of wool logs aims to stabilise these areas and create conditions for peat-forming plants to return.

Early indications from the site are encouraging, and we’re excited to monitor how the wool logs perform over the coming months in slowing water movement, stabilising exposed peat and supporting vegetation recovery

The trial was carried out by local nature conservation charity Ulster Wildlife, with the support of around 30 volunteers who transported and installed the wool logs by hand across challenging terrain, reaching heights of over 500m above sea level.

James Devenney, peatland restoration manager at Ulster Wildlife, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the farmers on Slievenanee Mountain, and the volunteers for their support in making this project happen. Early indications from the site are encouraging, and we’re excited to monitor how the wool logs perform over the coming months in slowing water movement, stabilising exposed peat and supporting vegetation recovery.”