14/04/2026  How can climate protection, renewable energy and regional economic growth be effectively combined? The MoorPower project will provide answers at the EnergieTag MV, right on site. On 25 April 2026, from 11:00 to 14:00, researchers from the University of Greifswald and the Greifswald Moor Centrum invite you to an information event in a peatland near Rostock. The meeting point is Bio-Rind Wellen GmbH in Spoitgendorf (near Plaaz, A19).

A new peatland photovoltaic plant will be presented on site, which combines solar energy with rewetting, thereby delivering a double climate benefit. The MoorPower project is investigating the technical, ecological and socio-economic effects of this approach over a three-year period. Weatherproof clothing and rubber boots or sturdy footwear are recommended for walking on the site. Further information about the event can be found here: https://www.energietag-mv.de/aktion/wie-sich-klimaschutz-erneuerbare-energien-und-regionale-wertschoepfung-verbinden-lassen-informationsveranstaltung-zu-moor-pv/

14/04/2026 Here are the latest topics in the latest issue of the Paludiculture Newsletter:

• Paludiculture projects – who is doing what where in Germany? A study has compiled 146 projects from the past 25 years to provide an overview

• Water buffalo for peatlands – 70 interested participants gathered at a workshop on water buffalo husbandry on wetland areas in Brandenburg

• Towering insights for paludiculture – Dr. Christian Brümmer explains why there will soon be many more greenhouse gas measurements on wetlands in our interview

• Until 2045 – what should peatland climate protection look like until and after Germany’s target year for climate neutrality? A workshop report

Plus more topics and current dates in the event calendar.

We enjoy staying in touch with our readers. What topics would you like to see covered in the paludiculture newsletter? What feedback do you have for us? Feel free to email us at communication@greifswaldmoor.de.

10/04/2025  Old-growth rainforests are famous for their massive carbon stocks – but what about the peatlands hidden within these rainforest ecosystems? A new study by researchers from the Greifswald Moor Centrum now provides valuable insights from the peatlands of the temperate rainforests of Canada’s Pacific coast.

As part of an expedition, Hanna Rae Martens and Jürgen Kreyling, together with the organization Wilderness International, investigated protected areas in British Columbia. The aim was to analyse the distribution of peatlands and their contribution to carbon storage within these rainforest landscapes.

The newly published results show that although peatlands cover only around five percent of the studied region – likely an underestimate – they store about 20 percent of the total carbon in these ecosystems. This means they make a disproportionately large contribution to climate mitigation.

The study highlights the importance of these previously overlooked ecosystems and opens up new perspectives for research and conservation. Further studies will aim to better quantify the carbon storage potential of these peatlands.

The publication is available at: DOI 10.1038/s41598-026-44791-z

27/03/2026  The new GMC paper ‘The Development of the Paludiculture Project Landscape – An Overview and Analysis in Germany’ (German only) shows: Of the total of 146 projects examined from the past 25 years, the first initiatives began as early as the 1990s – even before the term ‘paludiculture’ was coined in 1998. However, more than 75% of all projects have been implemented within the last ten years, which underlines the growing importance of the topic.
Most projects are located in the federal states with extensive peatlands. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (44 projects) and Lower Saxony (41 projects) top the list. The range of topics is broad: particularly between 1995 and 2010, the focus was on crop production and utilisation. Business management aspects were mostly examined as a secondary consideration, whilst issues relating to planning and approval have so far been under-represented.
Many projects concentrate on specific land-use and utilisation options – such as sphagnum moss and cattails for substrate production, or cattails and reeds as building materials. At the same time, there are numerous projects dealing with a wide range of potential uses.
Many projects focus on specific land-use and utilization options — such as sphagnum moss and cattails for substrate production, or cattails and reeds as building materials. At the same time, there are numerous projects that explore a wide range of potential uses.
In addition to the publication in the GMC series, the complete list of 146 projects is available for download as an open Excel file for further work. Interested parties can also contact the authors with suggestions for further projects.

11/03/2025  The new online platform PaludiBörse connects the supply and demand side for biomass from paludiculture. It creates transparency about available raw materials, requirements and regional potential for both sides.

The sustainable use of biomass from rewetted peatlands – i.e. paludiculture – plays a central role in climate and biodiversity protection. At the same time, it is difficult to find suitable partners for marketing or processing in practice. PaludiBörse, created as part of the toMOORow initiative and the PaludiAllianz joint project, helps to close this gap.

Farmers can showcase their available raw materials, while companies can search for specific qualities. The platform facilitates networking, reduces search effort, creates market transparency and facilitates the establishment of regional supply chains. This is a step towards making the wet use of peatlands economically viable and contributing to climate and biodiversity protection.