Travel for Good: Four ways Britain’s peatlands are critical to a healthy climate
Get the deep dive on the importance of Britain’s humble peat bogs and learn about what Newmarket Holidays is doing to support peatland restoration across the UK.
Though they’re perhaps less glamorous than the alpine forests and vast lakes that dot the UK’s picturesque landscapes, Britain’s peat bogs are carbon-storing powerhouses and could be fundamental in helping combat climate change. These vast areas, spread across more than three million hectares of land in the UK, are incredibly efficient in preventing floods, capturing carbon and filtering pollution out of the rainwater that it absorbs. A new government mapping, however, has found that up to 80% of England’s peatlands are drying or damaged and need urgent care. That’s why, as part of our ongoing Travel for Good initiative, we’re proud to support the restoration of damaged peatlands across the UK.
Newmarket Holidays are donating £1 to the North Pennines Peatland Restoration project for every customer that travels with us and in light of the latest government studies, we’re taking our contributions a step further. To celebrate the UK’s beautiful natural world, we’ll be doubling our donations to £2 per customer for every British Isles holiday that’s booked before the end of June 2025. Through our peatlands partnership, we’re also doing our bit to preserve the British Isles’ largest carbon sink, from getting hands-on in the wetlands to raising awareness for these marvellous carbon sinks. With that in mind, our team has been cutting through the technical talk and scientific jargon to break down the importance of the country’s peatlands, and here are four reasons why we can’t afford to lose these vital areas.
1. Storing Carbon
Though many across the UK don’t even know what peat bogs are, these essential wetland areas store over 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon and could be key to reducing the effects of climate change. Despite being incredible carbon stores when healthy, peat bogs actually release CO2 when they’re damaged or degraded and currently contribute to 3.5% of England’s total carbon emissions. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, as initiatives across the country, like the North Pennines Peatland Restoration project, are already underway to plant more peat-producing Sphagnum Moss and aid water retention across the wetlands.
2. Promoting biodiversity
It’s not just the environment that benefits from healthy peatlands, too, with a wide variety of unique wildlife, including both plant and animal species, calling these areas home. The UK’s peatland areas are no exception, and a number of the nation’s most elusive creatures, including curlews, golden plovers and 25 species of dragonfly, can exclusively be found amongst the marsh and moss.
3. Reducing flood risks
One of the biggest benefits of healthy peatlands is that the native sphagnum moss – which our team recently helped plant by hand – can directly reduce the risk of flash flooding across the North Pennines area. This lesser-known plant species is capable of retaining 20 times its weight in water content, and safely contains a great deal of natural rainfall. Inexpensive and incredibly efficient, the vibrant ecosystems that thrive within the bogs are capable of making tangible impacts on weather-proofing Britain and improving water safety.
4. Improving water quality
Just as the peatlands hold water, they also filter the rain that they absorb with the help of sphagnum moss and the porous structure of the deep peat below the surface. What this means, in everyday terms, is that the peatlands collect pollutants in the rain, such as heavy metals, dust and airborne particles from engine fumes, and leave us with cleaner drinking water that requires less filtration.
What have we done so far?
As part of our Travel for Good initiative, we’ve pledged to donate £1 per customer that travels with us to our trusted partners at the North Pennines Peatland Restoration project, raising over £40,000 in 2024 alone.
Our team, including our CEO, Niel Alobaidi, are always keen to roll our sleeves up and get hands-on, and a group recently visited the North Pennines AONB to learn more about the cause while revegetating patches of sphagnum moss.
We’re going even further!
In response to the recently released government mapping, we’ll be taking our contributions a step further, doubling our donation, now to £2 per customer, for British Isles tours throughout June 2025.
Travel responsibly with Newmarket Holidays
The only thing better than living out your travel wish-list is making a positive impact while you’re doing it. The best part: you can contribute to the priceless work done to protect our natural environments just by enjoying your holiday! To learn more about our Travel for Good initiatives, visit our dedicated page, or check out our full range of destinations for your next escape.
