News/All pieces
RRR2025 conference
Call for abstracts
26/02/2025 The call for abstracts for the RRR2025 conference from 23rd-26th September in Greifswald has been extended. The new deadline is: 14th March 2025. We invite you to submit an abstract for oral or poster presentation or for a workshop on the key topics on the conference platform. There will also be excursions, side events and a paludiculture exhibition.
The 4th RRR conference on Renewable Resources from Wet and Rewetted Peatlands offers a platform to explore current questions on rewetting and paludiculture and many others, fostering dialogue between science and practice. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the event aims to encourage knowledge exchange, build networks, and develop and strengthen practical, forward-looking solutions. Keynote speakers are Dr. Christian Fritz from RU Nijmegen (NL) and Dr. Kate Flood from NUI Galway (IRL).
More information on rrr2025.com.
For World Wetlands Day:
New European Wetland Map!
02/02/2025 Just in time for World Wetlands Day a new European Wetland Map shows Europe's peatlands, floodplains and coastal wetlands more comprehensively than ever before in one map. Compiled from about 200 data sources, this map informs policy makers, land users and anyone interested in wetlands not only about their distribution and types, but also, for example, about potential areas at risk of flooding. Users can freely download the European Wetland Map, published in a collaboration with the projects ALFAwetlands, WET HORIZONS and Building a European Peatlands Alliance, for their own analyses. A vector dataset on the geographical distribution of the wetlands considered is available on a country basis in an ArcGIS geodatabase as well as a country-specific high resolution Geo-TIFF collection (grid size: 1 arcsecond).
Background: The World Wetlands Day (WWD)
This day has been drawing attention to the importance of wetlands, including peatlands, on February 2nd every year since 1997. The Ramsar Convention, the international agreement for the protection of wetlands, was adopted on February 2nd in 1971. Since 2021 the WWD has been recognized as an international day by the United Nations. Therefore, their restoration and protection is important. Due to pollution, drainage and agriculture, fires and overfishing, wetlands, which include peatlands, are under threat worldwide or have already been destroyed. Yet they are guarantors of biodiversity and climate protection. Among other things, wetlands offer people protection from drought and flooding, purify water and regulate the microclimate. In Germany, 95% of former wetlands have been drained and are no longer recognizable as such today.
New: Policy brief & country fact sheets
How and where policy can make a difference
21/01/2025 A new policy brief, published in English, French, German and Dutch, sheds light on how EU policy can contribute to the restoration of degraded peatland ecosystems. In particular, it takes a close look at the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) which sets legally binding restoration targets for the Member States of the European Union. Country fact sheets for Austria, Belgium and Germany supplement the policy brief. They analyze the restoration targets according to NRR Art. 11.4 on peatlands currently used for agriculture. and provide important information for national strategies and decision-makers to promote the implementation of the restoration goals. The policy brief highlights the enormous importance of wetlands - especially peatlands - for climate and biodiversity protection and stresses the urgency of their restoration.
The policy brief and country fact sheets were produced in cooperation with the ALFAwetlands and WET HORIZONS projects. As case studies, the country profiles present the Living Labs of the ALFAwetlands project: the Zwarte Beek valley in Belgium, Lake Neusiedl on the Austrian-Hungarian border and the Upper Peene Valley in Germany.
Image: Distribution of organic soils in Germany and schematic representation of the restoration objectives in accordance with the Restoration Ordinance Art. 11.4 at present
Paludi-green Week
Tips for visitors
16/01/2025 Paludiculture is a topic at the International Green Week from January 17th to 26th in Berlin. Where and when? - We have compiled some tips here: Paludi products and cores from peatlands, peat and peat substitutes are presented all week at the exhibition stand of Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR) in Hall 27 (Stand 215). Explanations and information is given by staff of the PaludiZentrale project and the PaludiNetz, in which ten paludiculture projects have joined forces. Scientists and practitionerrs from Greifswald Mire Center, FNR and Thünen Institute will be on hand at the booth and ready to answer questions on paludiculture.
At the opening day, January 17th, there will be a panel talk on the topic of peatland protection through peatland use from 13:30-14:00 at the booth of Kaufland in Hall 3.2 (Stand 211). Information will be provided by the PaludiAllianz project of Michael Otto Environmental Foundation, University of Greifswald and Succow Foundation.
One day later, on January 18th, the new MOOReturn paludiculture project will officially receive its funding decision from Claudia Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, on the stage in Hall 23a. Visitors will learn how the project, which involves the University of Greifswald and the Succow Foundation, both partners in the Greifswald Mire Centre, aims to promote paludiculture in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
On January 22nd at 11:30 a.m., the WetNetBB project will host a panel discussion on the topic of “Peatlands with a future”, also on stage in Hall 23a, with a focus on paludiculture in the federal state of Brandenburg.
Background: The International Green Week is the world's largest trade fair for food, agriculture and horticulture, which takes place annually in Berlin. It offers a platform for experts from agriculture, the food industry and the environmental economy to exchange information on innovations, sustainable solutions and trends. Visitors can find out about the latest developments in the fields of food, agriculture and environmental technology and gain exciting insights into the future of the industry.
New project: MOOReturn
Saving 3,400 tons of CO₂ per year
10/01/2025 From January 2025, the project MOOReturn will combine the large-scale rewetting of peatland with the cultivation, material and energy recovery and marketing of paludiculture raw materials on a total area of 200 hectares.
With estimated CO2 savings of 3,400 tons per year, “MOOReturn” will make a significant contribution to the goals of the National Peatland Protection Strategy and the federal-state target agreement on peatland protection.
Along the Upper Peene in the vicinity of the town of Malchin (Mecklenburg Lake District), the focus is on peatland revitalization, water level optimization and biomass harvesting on various peatland areas. In addition, new possibilities for pulping and material recycling as paper or packaging material, fiberboard and building materials as well as chemical raw materials are to be tested and immediately included in the BMEL-funded project “toMOORow - Alliance of Pioneers”. The degressive thermal utilization supports the development of progressive material utilization at the beginning and enables the participating companies to increase their own contribution. Residual materials are to be marketed as by-products (e.g. fertilizer granulate production).
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is funding the “MOOReturn” project in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 4.3 million euros until 2027. Under the leadership of the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ), a total of nine partners from science, administration and industry are involved. The Universities of Greifswald and Rostock are providing scientific support for GHG measurements and flora/fauna surveys in MOOReturn. The University of Bonn is investigating material recycling. The company Werner GmbH, the company Agrotherm, moor managers and the mayor of Malchin, the 'Wasserwerk der Zukunft' and the Michael Succow Foundation are also involved. Regional agriculture is supporting the project.
Become a peatland specialist!
New qualification program
06/01/2025 For a new five-year qualification and practical program to become a peatland specialist, 10 Bachelor's and Master's graduates are being looked for. With a curriculum and a certificate from the University of Greifswald and the Landeslehrstätte für Naturschutz, the programme aims to counteract the current shortage of specialists for peatland revitalization and help meet the increasing demand for specialists.
Over the 5-year term, it offers:
- Paid positions (E13/E9A/B)
- Training and work placements at the LUNG with a focus on rewetting projects
- Insight into the practical implementation of nature conservation projects and climate protection measures
- Prospects for the future in an innovative and interdisciplinary field
The program starts in April 2025, applications are still possible until January 13. Further information and application for graduates with a Bachelor's degree and graduates with a Master's degree.
Dreaming of wet peatlands
Peatland jobs for Christmas!
20/12/2024 Dear peatland friends,
we at the GMC are “Dreaming of a wet peatland” (or many) constantly and, of course, at Christmas, too. Not dreaming only, but working hard to make it come true. That’s why – so close to Christmas – we let the bells ring for our current job announcements, 21 in total. If they were gifts, they would pile up under the Christmas tree!Please distribute widely, so these job ads can be like a present to a suitable person and a contribution to the efforts of rewetting peatlands and protecting the climate. For Christmas this year we can justifiably so sing: “We wish you rewetted peatlands, we wish you rewetted peatlands and a happy new year“ - great thanks to everybody joining, supporting or following us in 2024!
More information on our job announcements:
Contribute to pioneering research on the novel ecosystems of rewetted peatlands Contribute to pioneering research on the novel ecosystems of rewetted peatlands as part of an interdisciplinary and international team! The newly established Collaborative Research Center “WETSCAPES2.0”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), is seeking talented and motivated scientists and technical experts to join us in understanding the dynamic processes shaping these unique landscapes.
We are hiring:
1 Scientific Coordinator
10 Postdoctoral Researchers
16 Doctoral Researchers
4 Technical Experts
Our research network brings together the expertise of leading institutions:
University of Greifswald
University of Rostock
IGB Berlin
GFZ Potsdam
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena
Humboldt University of Berlin
Together, we investigate the biogeochemical, hydrological, and biological processes in rewetted peatlands and their role in the broader landscape, focusing on water and matter fluxes as well as microbial and biological drivers.
Here more information on the overarching research themes, training programs, and application details.
Paludiculture & 3D, Map 2.0 and more
Newsletter – new issue
11/12/24 Will there will be cattails in printer cartridges in the future, what are thematic maps the new Global Peatland Hotspot Atlas and what will the WETSCAPES 2.0 project be examining over the next ten years – find out in the just published current issue of our Paludiculture newsletter.
Further topics include the compendium on the paludiculture potential of Ukraine and details & deadlines for the international paludiculture conference "Renewable Resources from Wet and Rewetted Peatlands" from September 23rd to 26th, 2025 in Greifswald, jointly organized by the Greifswald Moor Centrum and the Thünen Institute. Also in this newsletter: reports about EIN:FLUSS:RAUM:MOOR, the joint exhibition by MONAS-Collective and Greifswald Moor Centrum inspired by Caspar David Friedrich, about a soil workshop within the PaludiNetz and about the conference "MENSCHEN.MACHEN.MOORE."
We hope you enjoy reading and are happy to receive feedback on the newsletter by email to communication@greifswaldmoor.de.
New: Wetscapes 2.0
10 mio project funded by Deutsche Forschungs Gesellschaft
04/12/24 ‘WETSCAPES2.0: novel ecosystems in rewetted fen landscapes’ will investigate the functioning and complex ecological, biogeochemical and hydrological processes in rewetted fens. The funding from the German Research Foundation was acquired by the Universities of Greifswald and Rostock together with the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB Berlin), the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena (MPI-BGC) and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU).
The background: peatlands have been drained for centuries, which has led to significant greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient discharge into watercourses and neighbouring ecosystems as well as massive losses of biodiversity. Rewetting programmes across Europe are now intended to reverse these negative effects. However, this is not restoring the original peatlands, but creating new types of ecosystems, the functioning of which is still only partially understood.
The research network aims to better understand the functioning and complex ecological, biogeochemical and hydrological processes in rewetted fens. It will investigate the effects of rewetting peatlands in space and time at landscape level and beyond. In the long term, concrete contributions to the management of these areas and to sustainable utilisation through paludiculture will be developed.
WETSCAPES 2.0 strengthens cutting-edge research in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and also makes a decisive contribution to addressing global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss and advancing nature-based solutions locally. Knowledge transfer and the communication of research topics for greater social acceptance will take place in close cooperation with the Greifswald Mire Centre.
The DFG's Collaborative Research Centres (SFB) are long-term research institutions at universities in which scientists work together as part of an interdisciplinary research programme. Innovative, challenging, complex and long-term projects can be realised in the Collaborative Research Centres by coordinating and concentrating people and resources at the applicant universities. They serve to develop institutional priorities and structures.
More information can be found in the media information of the University of Greifswald.
Peatlands & Brazil
New briefing paper and perspective for "peatland breakthrough" at COP30
22/11/24 As UNFCCC COP29 is ending in Baku, Azerbaijan, preparations are gathering pace for the next COP – which will take place in Brazil. Scientists are already now pointing out the little-noticed but huge climate potential of the peatlands of Brazil. The country’s most carbon dense ecosystem is nearly unprotected and tremendously threatened by large scale agriculture and deforestation, a new briefing paper by the Greifswald Mire Centre and partners finds.
In Brazil there are 17,000 km² covered with peat and another 209,000 km² with peat occurring in patches. These peatlands are distributed in Amazonia, the Cerrado savanna, the coastal areas plus in mountainous areas and highlands. Clearly, the Brazilian Amazonia, e.g. the Rio Negro basin and along river valleys, is Brazil's peatland hotspot.
The United Nations Environmental Agency (UNEP) estimates their carbon stock in peatlands is 39 Gt. It also assumes 3,540 km² of organic soils currently to be under land use, causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of at least 18 Mt CO2-e. Scientists suspect this number to be an understimation. Brazil's peatlands also serve as water buffer which is severly needed for the dry season and prevention of wildfires.
However, Brazil does not report carbon emissions from land use on organic soils to the UNFCCC. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from e.g. peatland drainage, drought, peat fires, from agriculture and urban encroachment remain unaccounted for. Also, wetland protection in general is currently excluded from the most important Brazilian nature conservation law, the federal Brazilian Native Vegetation Protection (LPVN) Law (12,651, May 2012). Thus, activities with negative impacts such as cattle grazing and extraction of water for domestic purposes remain allowed in wetlands.
"Brazil’s peatlands are virtually not recognized nor protected, and seriously threatened by industrial scale agriculture, like soy and cattle production, deforestation and climate change. We urgently need to better understand and protect peatlands in Brazil.” says Felix Beer, one of the authors of the new briefing paper.
Since peatlands are spread over incredibly vast areas and peatland science is a rather young discipline in Brazil, the extent of peatlands there is subject to large uncertainties. There is a tremendous need to increase monitoring efforts, legal protection, conservation measures and to close knowledge gaps etc.. Alexandre Christofaro Silva, Professor of Forest Engineering at the Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri valley, demands: “The conservation of Brazilian peatlands is essential not only for traditional people and regional communities, but to humanity. At COP30 even in Brazil we need to have them on the agenda, and fight to stop their anthropization (fire, drainage, pasture) as we fight to stop cutting Amazonian rain forests.”
In respect to next year's climate summit, Cinthia Soto Golcher, responsible for Climate Change Advocacy at Wetlands International, states: “To reach the Paris Agreement goals on mitigation and adaptation, drained peatlands must be restored and rewetted. This cannot be achieved by only a few actors, but needs the mobilization of national and international stakeholders and resources. Hence, we view COP 30 in Brazil as a historic opportunity -and responsibility- for the international community to advance a significant and transformative chapter for peatlands in which they are seriously considered as part of the path towards a resilient 1,5C planet by 2050.”