Wool Logs Tested for Peatland Restoration in NI

Why this is here: The wool logs weigh between nine and ten kilograms each, significantly less than the forty-five kilogram coir logs they are replacing.

Ulster Wildlife and the Ulster Farmers’ Union are piloting wool logs in the Antrim Hills of Northern Ireland as a sustainable alternative to imported coir. The organizations placed nearly 60 of the logs—made of woven wool textile and packed with fleece—on Slievenanee in February to reduce erosion and re-wet degraded peatland.

Traditionally, coir logs sourced from Southeast Asia have been used for this purpose, but they carry a significant carbon footprint. The project aims to create a local market for wool, which farmers have received low prices for, and utilize a previously discarded resource.

Northern Ireland’s peatlands cover 12% of its land, yet 86% are degraded and currently emit carbon instead of storing it. While initial results are promising, the long-term effectiveness of the wool logs still needs assessment, and the new peatland strategy requires substantial financial resources to achieve its 2040 goals.