The third meeting of the Care-Peat project took place on 4 and 5 February 2020 in Deurne, the Netherlands. Following a productive project meeting, during which the the progress and future of the project was discussed, the meeting transformed into a public workshop with presentation, discussions and an excursion to the Deurnsche Peel-Mariapeel.

The open meeting kicked off with a scientific workshop about valuable tools and methods used in peatland conservation and restoration. The workshop mainly focused on scientific insights gained from the Care-Peat project, leading to lively discussions, knowledge sharing and new input from the new participants. All-in-all it was a fruitful day for the Care-Peat partners as well as the other participants.

The second day of the workshop took place at Natuurpoort de Peel and consisted of presentations and interactive discussions on socio-economic models to promote peatland restoration, as well as a site visit to the beautiful, yet domesticized landscape of the Deurnsche Peel-Mariapeel. After presentations and discussions on topics such as Blue Credits, paludiculture and windmills in peatlands, everyone was ready to get outside and actually be in the field. After a presentation on the history and current state of the area, the participants left in their suits and muddy boots for a site visit to see paludiculture in action. With the sun in our backs and soft soil under our feet we spent our time hearing about the issues and solutions in the area, and how the project came to be. Lively discussions followed about the nature of the work, the people involved and the role of stakeholder groups. Full of new inspiration, knowledge and ideas everyone eventually left for their home country. The third Care-Peat meeting was a success, but what else could you expect with sun during a field visit in The Netherlands?

A full report of the meeting will follow soon.