Peatland Restoration Practitioner Course: Start date 14/07/26

Peatlands form an integral part of the UK’s landscape: first and foremost they are astonishing and vital habitats; they mitigate flooding downstream during storm events; and their preservative properties offer us a window into bygone millennia. They are valuable stores of carbon and an important part of tackling climate change.

Historical land management has limited their ability to carry out these services; however, large-scale restoration work can help bring back functionality in these environments. With circa 80% of peatlands degraded, there is a lot of work to do and currently not enough people with the diverse skillset required. The Peatland Restoration Practitioners course addresses this need and is aimed at building sector capacity for the future.

The Peatland Restoration Practitioner course equips you with the skills and knowledge to deliver peatland restoration at scale. Join us to:

• Develop skills in peatland restoration design and implementation, from survey to construction
• Gain accreditation to accelerate your career
• Professionalise skills and understand sector best practice
• Make a real impact on your local community and the global climate

The Peatland Restoration Practitioner course was developed by Yorkshire Peat Partnership (YPP) with guidance from Dr Tim Thom and Dr Chris Miller, and is accredited by LANTRA. The course draws on YPP’s 15 years of experience in all aspects of large-scale blanket bog restoration, and is taught by YPP staff working at the forefront of innovative best practice.

"Excellent course with stimulating discussion that has really helped me develop my thinking regarding peatland restoration and develop skills to deliver it more efficiently" - Senior Reserve Manager, NNR South Cumbria

"The course is well aimed at those wishing to enter or are new to the field, it will be a helpful boost to get new team members of Northumberland Peat Partnership up and running swiftly" - Programme Manager, Northumberland Peat Partnership

Course dates

• Day 1 (classroom): 14/07/26
• Day 2 (classroom): 15/07/26
• Day 3 (site visit): 16/07/26
• Day 4 (classroom): 04/08/26
• Day 5 (classroom): 05/08/26
• Day 6 (site visit): 06/08/26

Please note candidates are required to attend all 6 days of their chosen course, on the dates indicated.

Training outcome

Certificate of completion issued by our accrediting body LANTRA.

Course fee & payment methods

The full course fee is £1200 (VAT inclusive). The balance, minus deposit paid at the time of booking, will be due 12 weeks after payment of the deposit, or 4 weeks before the course commences, whichever is sooner. Payment can be completed by card or BASC; you will receive instructions following booking.

Assistance with course fees

Applicants resident in Wales or Scotland may be eligible for funding to subsidise the course fee through the Farming Connect scheme (Wales) or the Peatland Training Fund (Scotland). Please contact the relevant funding body directly to apply.

Cancellation & refunds

If you need to cancel 28 days or more in advance of your course, your course fee (including deposit) will be refundable minus booking fee. Within 28 days of the course start date a percentage of your fee may be refundable. All refunds are subject to our cancellation policy: see Terms and Conditions (available on our website) for full details.

Accessibility & Reasonable adjustments

Participating in course site visits requires walking for several kilometres over boggy and uneven ground. Please contact us to discuss access and accommodations.

Our classroom venue has free on-site parking available, and is located a walkable distance from public transport links.

All requests for reasonable adjustments will be considered in line with our Equality and Diversity policy. We will endeavour to accommodate the needs of learners with a particular training, qualification or assessment requirement, according to individual circumstances, ensuring such learners are not disadvantaged in relation to other learners and that certificates accurately reflect learner attainment.

Learning format

Participatory instruction across 4 classroom-based learning days and 2 site visit days. In classroom sessions you will hear from YPP's expert practitioners, take part in group activities and discussions, and complete individual written tasks and QGIS mapping activities. On site visits you will also hear from guest speakers, and complete hands-on activities.

Prerequisite experience

During the course you will be required to complete several mapping activities using QGIS software, with supervision and support. It is not within the scope of this course to teach the basics of using QGIS, so we strongly recommend learners familiarise themselves with the software before the course start date. Extensive documentation and training materials are available online for QGIS, and the software itself is free to download.

Assessment

You will complete a portfolio of short written activities and mapping tasks.

Course outcome

Following assessment of your written portfolio you will receive a certificate of completion from LANTRA.

1. Peatland ecology - Learn about peatland formation, ecosystem services associated with peatlands, the historic and current threats faced by the UK’s blanket bogs, and sustainable management.
2. Health and safety - Discuss hazard mitigation and risk assessment for working on upland peatlands. Understand the requirements of CDM Regulations (2015) when working with contractors on peatland restoration projects.
3. Surveying - Explore peatland survey methodology. Harness QGIS for GPS enabled data collection. Identify blanket bog erosion features, habitats and indicator species.
4. Practical restoration - Learn about peatland restoration techniques and see them in action on site.
5. Restoration plans - Interpret survey data in QGIS. Understand the elements of a peatland restoration plan. Respond constructively to constraints and set-backs.
6. Delivering restoration - Consider contractor procurement and works consenting processes for peatland restoration. Carry out quality control checks.
7. Advocacy and evaluating success - Explore effective stakeholder engagement. Evaluate the impact of restoration works. Learn about monitoring methods.
8. Peatland restoration funding - Discuss current funding streams for peatland restoration. Explore the future of peatland restoration funding.

Download the full course syllabus from our website.

Venue

Auction Mart, Gargrave Rd, Skipton BD23 1UX

What to bring

Classroom sessions: Laptop

Site visits: Boots with ankle support are required due to uneven ground. Packed lunch, water, long trousers, waterproofs, and spare layers suitable to the weather. A full kit list will be provided.

Please note that lunch is not included. Hot drinks are provided.

If you're having difficulties with your booking, or you have more questions about the event, please don't hesitate to get in touch via our website.

Yorkshire Peat Partnership is restoring peatlands in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks and Nidderdale National Landscape. Our goal is to restore and conserve upland peat resources in order to ensure the long-term future of these unique and valuable habitats. We are an umbrella organisation led by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the only charity entirely dedicated to conserving, protecting and enhancing Yorkshire's wildlife and wild places.

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Host or Publisher Yorkshire Peat Partnership