wet, wet, wet

Here, a Friends group describe their efforts to conserve Langlands Moss, a wetland gem just to the south of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire.

the Friends of Langlands Moss Local Nature Reserve are a group of local people who became very concerned about the impact of creeping industrial development on langlands moss over a decade ago. the moss is a rare and valuable habitat, a lowland raised peat bog, and home to distinctive species of plants, insects and other wildlife. So, we came together and formed a fully constituted group in 2006. working in partnership with South lanarkshire Council Countryside and Greenspace Service, Scottish natural Heritage (now natureScot) and other interested parties, we are dedicated to improving and preserving langlands moss local nature reserve, for the benefit of both wildlife and the local people.

our first task was to improve the hydrology and water levels of the moss which was slowly drying out. Since the site’s designation as a local nature reserve (lnr), many of

Retiring chairperson, Maureen Potter (with white wooly hat), assisted by Yvonne McWilliams, planting an oak tree to commemorate Maureen’s 16 years of being Secretary, then chairperson of Friends of Langlands Moss. Jim mCintyre

Recycled plastic piling acts as a dam. the original drainage dams had deteriorated due to fire damage, weather and vandalism. we realised that to improve the hydrology we would have to begin a new damming programme and that would cost money!

we started from scratch, so we applied to the Big lottery fund and Scottish natural Heritage for money to purchase damming material. we did extensive research and after much discussion we opted for APe heavy duty recycled plastic piling as a suitable damming material with a projected lifespan of forty or fifty years. A boardwalk was also installed over the moss with interpretation panels but unfortunately there have been two large fires at the site caused by vandals which have severely damaged the boardwalk.

the friends of langlands moss haven’t been deterred however and in 2020 work began to enhance the condition of the bog by felling an adjacent non-native spruce plantation, installing more dams and repairing the boardwalk to allow access across the moss again.

what is a lowland raised bog?

Scotland has a variety of lowland wetland habitats including raised bogs, as highlighted by natureScot who state: lowland raised bog is a very special type of wetland, which gets all its water from rainfall, snow and mist. these bogs began to form up to 8,000 years ago in shallow depressions, where poor drainage stopped the vegetation from rotting. instead, peat was formed. the peat is formed mainly from sphagnum mosses, which are able to hold 20 times their dry weight in water. this ability to act like a sponge helps to reduce how much water floods down our burns at peak flows. Peat formed from decaying sphagnum mosses builds up at a rate of just 1mm per year, slowly making the bog rise above the surrounding land. on some raised bogs, the peat is 11m deep. the peat at the bottom of the bog gives a unique insight into the climatic conditions found in the area several thousand years ago. on the bog surface, the very acid conditions encourage plants like cranberry and the insect-eating sundew to grow. Colourful dragonflies and damselflies breed in shallow pools. Blanket bog is another type of peat bog found in Scotland. the area bounded by the lnr more than doubled from approximately 20 hectares to 47 hectares. this work was done in partnership with the SlC Greenspace team and Green Action trust as part of a £202,000 peatland restoration project through the Peatland ACtion programme, funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by natureScot and partner organisations. Peatlands in good health are valuable carbon stores and can make a significant contribution towards Scotland’s net-zero targets to reduce greenhouse gasses, particularly carbon dioxide, which will help tackle climate change. the South lanarkshire View reported that langlands moss alone is estimated to hold over 132,500 tonnes of stored carbon, which equates to nearly 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

the friends group volunteers support the lnr through conservation workdays - e.g. maintaining the wildflower meadow, taking part in Butterfly Conservation Scotland Bog Squad days and litter picks. we also run events such as bat walks, easter activities and deliver talks to raise awareness of the site and the importance of peatlands in general. keep an eye out on our facebook page for reserve news and upcoming friends’ activities – all welcome!

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