Conservation work was carried out with military precision this week in a valley above the Haweswater reservoir.
A team of 30 soldiers from the British Army joined forces with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to reinvigorate the peat bog ecosystem in Riggindale — once the home of the famous Lake District eagles.
Thursday morning saw the group set off from the car park at the southern end of Haweswater to use their strength, and crucially, their engineering expertise to move several huge boulders and 1,000 bags of earth so water will be captured and held in place to re-wet the landscape, encouraging a thriving wildlife habitat to develop.
Major Sean Mackey, of the Light Dragoons, who instigated the Army’s involvement in the project, said: “As a local resident I was aware of the vital work taking place at Haweswater to improve the habitats there.
“When the British Army’s annual green initiative was coming round again this year, I saw a golden opportunity to contribute. The team at Haweswater readily embraced our offer of assistance, knowing that with 60 soldiers we can make a significant impact on the peat bog restoration.”
The Army worked at Sale Pot — meaning Willow Pool. Vegetation surveys previously carried out there by the RSPB revealed that this now dry area was once a flourishing wetland habitat, as shown by remnants of bog plants that still exist.
Extensive peat bog drainage has historically occurred in upland areas. However, this has inadvertently impacted water quality, increased downstream flooding and disrupted the bog’s capacity to support diverse plant and animal life.
RSPB warden Richard Smith said: “We’ve previously investigated re-wetting this peat bog, but it would have involved helicoptering in machinery and the cost of that was prohibitively expensive. We’re a small team of three wardens here at Haweswater, so it isn’t a task we could have done alone.”
