New research by Kate Flood of the Community Wetlands Forum and the Abbeyleix Bog project provides evidence of the importance of local communities and knowledge systems for the conservation of peatlands.
The paper centers around everyday resilience and explores how rural communities can act as agents of change in peatlands social-ecological systems.
Community knowledge, involvement and relationships to place can serve to combat environmental, political, economic and social stresses and help to build social and ecological resilience.
The paper, which can be accessed at the link below, draws evidence from a survey, interviews and three case studies of rural community groups in the Irish midlands to provide an overview of local dynamics in peatland conservation and wider issues of place-based development and adaptation.
Cover photography: Sunset over the boardwalk at the Abbeyleix Bog. Property of the Abbeyleix Bog Project.
