News
2024
Invitation of the MoKKa project
Closing conference at 7th Nov at Schwerin
14/10/24 Germany’s peatlands are key to achieving our climate goals, but are we doing enough? As the final event of the MoKKa project approaches, the pressing question remains: How can we mobilize more stakeholders for effective peatland climate protection? On November 7th in Schwerin, this conference will bring together experts and decision-makers to explore innovative solutions and forge new paths forward. Currently, only 2,000 hectares of peatland are rewetted annually in Germany—an effort that falls far short of the 50,000 hectares per year required to meet climate targets. This gap highlights the need for immediate and extensive action. We must accelerate permitting processes, expand training programs for professionals, and engage the public in supporting peatland restoration as a vital tool for climate mitigation.The conference will focus on the following topics:
- Accelerating planning and permitting processes, improving land availability
- Building support structures
- Promoting peat formation – when and how?
- Climate education on peatland climate protection with the Peatland Suitcase (Moorkoffer)
The program offers ample space for exchange and discussions on solutions and past experiences. Among the speakers are Nathalie Niederdrenk (BMUV), Prof. Sabine Schlacke (University of Greifswald), Almut Mrotzek (Mooragentur MV), and Tom Kirschey (Competence Center for Natural Climate Protection). The conference, jointly organized by the Michael Succow Foundation, the University of Greifswald, and the Nature Conservation Foundation Deutsche Ostsee, addresses professionals, multipliers, and decision-makers in administration, business, education, and politics, as well as all those interested in peatland climate protection. Register by October 25th, 2024.
The MoKKa Project is fundedthe Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is supporting the partners at the Greifswald Moor Centrum (University of Greifswald and Michael Succow Foundation) as well as the Nature Conservation Foundation Deutsche Ostsee (Ostseestiftung) from 2022 to 2024 through the National Climate Protection Initiative (NKI). The goal is to build capacity for the implementation of peatland climate protection in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and across Germany. More information can be found at www.mokka-projekt.de.
Climate-neutral building materials
An opportunity for peatlands?
8/10/24 Agora Agrar and Greifswald Mire Centre invite you to the expert discussion ‘Climate-neutral building materials - an opportunity for wet peatland use’ on 14th November 2024, 14:30 - 20:00 at the dbb Forum Berlin Friedrichstraße.
On the way to a climate-neutral economy, the demand for biomass as a substitute for fossil raw materials - for example for building materials - is increasing. Biomass from the cultivation of wet peatlands - known as paludiculture biomass - can meet part of this demand and open up economic prospects for farmers on rewetted peatland sites. This requires new value chains, as the cultivation and utilisation of paludiculture biomass is still in its infancy. This requires a suitable political framework. Not only agricultural and environmental policy, but also climate and economic policy are of great importance here. The event will address both the potential of paludiculture biomass for the construction industry and the political scope for action that can enable and promote new value chains for the material utilisation of paludiculture biomass in the construction sector.
Registration is now possible until 31 October 2024 on this website: www.agora-agrar.de/aktuelles/klimaneutrale-baustoffe.
Peatlands & climate & Baltic coast
Restoration on 850 hectares by 2034
5/10/24 Twelve diked coastal polders between Rostock and the Polish Baltic Sea will be restored over the next ten years as part of the ‘Peatland Climate Protection on the Baltic Sea Coast’ project. One aim of the ANK model project is to significantly reduce the ongoing release of climate-damaging gases on these 850 hectares, up to 24,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Another aim is to establish climate-friendly land use. Last Friday, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke visited Bresewitz (district of Vorpommern-Rügen) to see the successfully renaturalised peatland areas on the coast. She handed over the grant notification for 27.8 million euros to the project managers Georg Nikelski (Baltic Sea Foundation), Professor Maren Voß (Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde/Marine Cycles) and Professor Gerald Jurasinski (University of Greifswald/Greifswald Mire Centre). The project is funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the funds are provided by the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) in the Natural Climate Protection Action Programme (ANK). The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is contributing 2.3 million euros to the project.
Image: People from left: Prof Maren Voß, Georg Nikelski, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, Dr Balázs Baranyai (Baltic Sea Foundation), Minister Dr Till Backhaus, Prof Gerald Jurasinski (Photo: Andreas Krone.)
Paludiculture & Biodiv, Cardboard, Theatre
New newsletter
1/10/24 Paludiculture in combination with biodiversity, cardboard and theatre - these are just some of the topics covered in the current issue of our newsletter: A new information paper summarises experiences from Germany on how biodiversity develops on paludiculture areas. Sustainability manager Karla Jabben explains how and why OTTO GmbH has developed a shipping box partly made from paludiculture biomass. There is also an invitation in the newsletter: On the Day of German Unity on 3 October, the Greifswald Mire Centre and the University of Greifswald will be holding a Theatre & Talk in Schwerin to take a look at the history and future of peatland management - entertaining, free of charge and open to all.
We hope you enjoy reading the newsletter and would be happy to receive feedback on it by e-mail to communication@greifswaldmoor.de.
New information paper on paludiculture and biodiversity
Everything important in brief
26/09/24 Compared to agriculture on drained peatland, paludiculture promotes biodiversity, as the new information paper of Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development, Peatland Science Centre and Greifswald Mire Centre summarizes. It’s clear: typical peatland and peatland-specific species have no habitat on drained peatland soils. If and which they have on cultivated rewetted areas, is meanwhile shown by studies in several areas. For example, the number of Red List species of birds has doubled within four years on a cattail cultivation area in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. On a peat moss cultivation area in Lower Saxony, the number of dragonfly species typical to bogs almost equals that of near-natural bogs in the area after nine years of observation.
After rewetting, wetness-loving and rare species are found where previously widespread species of moist or dry conditions dominated. The intensity of use, mowing and harvesting time have different effects on these species. The mowing of areas creates a more species-rich vegetation due to less litter, more light incidence and leaching. In winter, however, this causes a lack of host plants and winter refuges for some animal species. The information paper addresses both negative and positive aspects, as well as possible conflicts with nature conservation and accompanying measures that can promote biodiversity.