Mend Our Mountains: lowering carbon emissions in Eryri with BMC Get Stuck In volunteers
The latest Get Stuck In party of a dozen BMC volunteers have been working with the National Trust to stop peat erosion, reduce carbon emissions and promote tree growth in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park this June.
BMC Volunteer Roy Hammond says, “On Wednesday 19 June we worked with the National Trust path team to re-profile peat hags at 750 metres on Glyder Fawr. This is essential to control erosion and reduce carbon emissions."
Roy continues, “On Thursday 20 June we joined the National Trust team again to remove plastic tree guards (see photo below) from sapling trees in the Nant Ffrancon Valley (near Ogwen Valley). These trees had been reintroduced to reclaimed farmland and the removal of the guards will enable them to thrive whilst also removing plastic from the environment.”
Will you Get Stuck In?
Get Stuck In events are for any BMC volunteers that want to help protect the delicate landscapes that we love to walk and climb in. Sign up here!
Working with the National Trust in the Lake District, Snowdonia and Peak District, some are day-long events, but often they are over two days with basic accommodation provided for free, and the opportunity to hike with your new-found friends on day three.
Over a dozen volunteering events have already taken place and this year the 2024 Mend Our Mountains funding from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust will enable the continuation of these conservation projects where they are needed the most.
As a volunteer, not only will you be carrying out vital footpath repair work, drainage ditch digging, peat hag re-profiling, cairn-scattering and/or clearing litter and invasive species, but you will also have the opportunity to learn new skills and meet like-minded people.
Find out more and sign up to volunteer here, or donate here.
What’s ACT?
The BMC's Access and Conservation Trust (ACT) funds vital projects that protect our crags and mountains. It promotes sustainable access to crags, mountains and open countryside through education and conservation projects across Great Britain. The current ACT campaigns include Mend Our Mountains and The Climate Project. Volunteering on a Get Stuck In day or two-day event is a great way to be involved with both! Primarily, Get Stuck In is part of Mend Our Mountains, but when the volunteers plant sphagnum in the Peak District from November to March, they are also contributing to The Climate Project - a double conservation whammy!
Find out more and sign up to volunteer here, or donate here.
