Welcome to the CANAPE project.
Creating A New Approach to Peatland Ecosystems
CANAPE is a project co-funded by the North Sea Region Programme 2014 - 2020.
Fenlands and Bogs used to be a major part of the landscape in the low lying areas around the North Sea. Over time these flat landscapes covered in moss, grasses, reeds and sedges, broken up by shallow lakes and rivers, have lain down layer after layer of partially decomposed organic matter called peat.
For centuries peat has been an important resource, as people have drained the fens and bogs for land to produce food, and used the dried peat as a fuel. This leads to releases of CO2 from the dried peat, and a reduction in capacity of the land to store water leading to reduced protection from floods.
The project Creating a New Approach to Peatland Ecosystems responds to these issues by restoring wetland areas to reduce their CO2 emissions and improve their capacity to store water, and by aiming to develop the markets for products produced from wetland ecosystems - a type of farming known as Paludiculture.
Latest Project News
CANAPE: Lets North Sea Video launched
23 November 2022In the fourth part of the seven part series highlighting some of the unique and impactful projects and the change they are driving across the North Se…
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CANAPE: Construction begins at De Nol
21 November 2022After much careful planning and preparation, Natuurpunt has begun construction work at De Nol, Belgium. These works will raise the water level on De …
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CANAPE Chats Episode 5: Rewetting De Nol
21 September 2022Harry talks to Rudi and Frederik about the work underway in the Grenspark, a National Park on the border of Belgium and The Netherlands.
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CANAPE: Looking back at Barver Moor
11 August 2022Without the CANAPE project, the field at Barver Moor would be an unremarkable former marginal ifarming area, alongside a substantial nature restoratio…
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CANAPE: Looking back at Hickling Broad
27 June 2022In 2018 we first reported that excavators had begun work at Hickling Broad. Over 4 years they have returned each winter to develop the restoration sit…
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