An innovative project to help restore Calderdale’s moorland areas and support the borough’s ambitious carbon reduction targets, has received national recognition.
Calderdale Council has been named as a finalist in the APSE Service Awards 2025, in the category of Best Climate Action or Decarbonisation Initiative.
The awards celebrate excellence in public service, across 17 category areas, with the winners agreed by a panel of experts.
The Council’s nomination recognises the pioneering work on the Calderdale Sphagnum Moss Project, part of the National Lottery-funded Growing Resilience Project.
Sphagnum moss, which used to carpet the ground on local moors, is an important plant in natural flood management and carbon capture. The moss covers the ground and bogs on moorlands to eventually reform peatlands. By storing up to 20 times its own weight in water, sphagnum moss also helps reduce the risks of flooding and moorland fires, offering essential protection to communities.
Although this important plant offered many benefits to Calderdale’s moorland, there was only one commercial grower in the UK, and high costs involved for such a large area.
Through the Sphagnum Moss Project, Calderdale Council staff and volunteers developed a straightforward method of growing sphagnum moss in a nursery environment. The volunteers have worked tirelessly to find the best ways for it to grow, finding solutions to overcome issues and ultimately identifying the species and growing conditions most suitable to enable successful growing.
Eleven species of sphagnum moss are now grown across two polytunnels in the borough. Around 6000 plug plants have been planted on moorland and plants are used for further propagation.
The project also aims to engage local communities and stimulate conversations around the connections between landscape use, climate change, flooding, moorland fires and nature recovery.
In addition to local engagement, findings from the project are being shared with organisations across the country, with staff visiting fledgling nurseries to help them to set up their own growing projects, enabling others to learn from the project to support wider climate action.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Housing, Cllr Scott Patient, said:
“The Calderdale Sphagnum Project supports our Ecological Emergency Action Plan and its key themes of protecting and restoring peatlands in the borough. It’s part of our commitment to working with local communities to develop climate focused projects which support peatland restoration, carbon reduction and help to reduce the very real risk of flooding in the borough.
“This innovative project continues to develop, overcoming challenges to make a real difference. I’m delighted it’s received further recognition at the APSE Awards, raising its profile and supporting our additional work of sharing findings from the project. We want to continue to help more organisations develop ways to grow this incredible plant, which can bring so many benefits for our damaged moorlands.”
Find out more about the Calderdale Ecological Emergency Action Plan and its key theme of ‘Protecting and restoring peatlands’, at Calderdale Ecological Emergency Action Plan(external link)
The winners of the APSE Service Awards will be announced at the organisation’s Annual Charity Awards Dinner, in aid of Parkinson’s UK, on Thursday 11 September 2025.