Call to protect bog at risk from climate change

One of the oldest nature reserves in Yorkshire is at increasing risk of drying out due to the impact of climate change, a charity has said.

Askham Bog in York, which was founded in 1946, is home to more than 800 species of moths and plants, some of which are more than 500 years old.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT), which maintains the site, has created a fund to protect it in response to the reserve's peat drying out more each year and threats from invasive, non-native species like Himalayan balsam.

Prof Alastair Fitter, president of YWT, said: "The reserve urgently needs our support if it is to remain one of our wild crown jewels."

The bog provides a vital source for storing water and carbon, as well as being a rare habitat for peatland bog species.

The Askham Bog Protection Fund has called for donations to help the bog stay wet by creating small dams, a tilting weir and new ponds for species like great-crested newts.

Dave Powell, the reserve's manager, said: "It is vital that we make Askham Bog boggier.

"Our peat bogs are brilliant at holding on to water during flooding events meaning a healthier Askham Bog will retain more water to prevent flooding in York over the autumn and winter."

But once peat bogs get too dry during extreme heat, their peat cannot be made wet again, meaning they start releasing carbon, Powell explained.

Plans to build 500 homes near Askham Bog were rejected in 2019 after Sir David Attenborough spoke out against them and more than 7,600 people objected to the proposal.

Fitter said: "Askham Bog is an astonishing and truly wild place.

"For its size, it is the richest spot in Yorkshire for biodiversity and has been a magnet for naturalists for over 200 years."

The bog closed in February for vital infrastructure work to replace the existing boardwalk and improve accessibility but YWT intends to reopen the site in the summer.

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