Northern Ireland’s largest wool bog restoration trial begins on Slievenanee in the Antrim Hills

Volunteers carried 60 wool logs weighing 8kg onto site at Slievenanee Mountain

An ambitious new environmental restoration project in the Antrim Hills is turning one of farming’s most undervalued by-products into a potential weapon against peatland erosion and climate damage.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), Ulster Wildlife and a group of industry and research partners have launched Northern Ireland’s largest trial to date using locally sourced wool to restore damaged blanket bog on Slievenanee Mountain.

The initiative has seen 60 specially designed “wool logs” installed across exposed peatland in the uplands, where years of weathering and erosion have stripped vegetation from the landscape and left fragile peat exposed.

Project leaders believe the trial could open the door to a more sustainable, locally sourced alternative to imported restoration materials while also creating new value for Northern Ireland’s sheep farming sector.

How the wool restoration project works

The wool logs are made from scoured fleece compacted into wool textile sacks and placed strategically across damaged areas of blanket bog.

Their role is to:

• slow the movement of water across eroded peat

• trap sediment

• retain moisture

• stabilise exposed ground

• encourage the return of peat-forming plants such as sphagnum moss

Healthy peatlands are considered critical natural carbon stores and play a major role in reducing flood risk, improving water quality and supporting rare upland wildlife.

However, once peatland becomes exposed and begins eroding, recovery can be extremely slow without intervention.

The Slievenanee site lies within the Antrim Hills Special Protection Area (SPA), an internationally significant protected landscape recognised for its upland bird populations and sensitive habitats.

Volunteers carried wool logs across challenging mountain terrain

Around 30 volunteers helped transport and install the wool logs by hand across difficult upland terrain reaching more than 500 metres above sea level.

The restoration work was carried out by Ulster Wildlife with support from Sustainable Rope Ltd, Ulster Wool and Ulster University.

The scale of the operation highlights both the practical challenge of peatland restoration and the growing urgency around protecting degraded upland habitats across Northern Ireland.

Wool has already shown promising results in similar peatland restoration schemes in Scotland and northern England, where it has been used to stabilise eroding peat and help retain moisture in exposed landscapes.

Using local wool instead of imported materials

One of the most significant aspects of the project is its attempt to replace or reduce reliance on imported coir — a coconut fibre commonly sourced from South-East Asia and widely used in peatland restoration work.

Project partners say locally sourced wool offers environmental and economic advantages by reducing transport impacts while supporting local agriculture.

UFU Peatlands Officer Stephanie Clokey said wool was a natural fit for upland restoration work.

She said:

“Wool is a natural, biodegradable material and is a logical solution for peatland management.

“Here we’re helping to rebuild damaged areas by using materials that work with the landscape, while supporting local farmers and adding value to something that has recently often been treated as a waste product rather than a resource, while creating new opportunities for what is often an underused by-product of farming.”

The project comes at a time when many sheep farmers continue to face low wool returns, with raw fleece often viewed as having limited commercial value.

Supporters of the initiative believe environmental restoration projects could help create new demand streams for locally produced wool.

Why healthy peatlands matter

Peatlands are increasingly recognised as one of the UK and Ireland’s most important natural climate assets because of their ability to store significant amounts of carbon.

When damaged, however, peatlands can begin releasing stored carbon back into the atmosphere while also contributing to water quality problems and increased downstream flood risks.

James Devenney, Peatland Restoration Manager at Ulster Wildlife, said restoring degraded peatland was essential for both biodiversity and climate resilience.

He said:

“Healthy peatlands are one of our most important natural assets. They store carbon, improve water quality, reduce flood risk and provide a home for specialist wildlife. When these habitats become damaged and eroded, restoring them is essential.

“We’re incredibly grateful to the farmers on Slievenanee Mountain, and the volunteers for their support in making this project happen.

“Early indications from the site are encouraging, and we’re excited to monitor how the wool logs perform over the coming months in slowing water movement, stabilising exposed peat and supporting vegetation recovery.”

Future trials could combine wool and coir

Researchers and project partners will now monitor how the wool logs perform over the coming months in real upland conditions.

Future restoration trials may also explore combining wool with coir to balance the extra weight and durability of coir with the sustainability and local sourcing benefits offered by wool.

Findings from the Slievenanee trial could help shape future peatland restoration approaches across Northern Ireland, particularly as pressure grows to deliver practical climate and biodiversity solutions using locally available materials.

The project also reflects a broader shift towards partnership-led environmental work, bringing together farmers, conservation groups, businesses, researchers and volunteers to tackle long-term damage in some of Northern Ireland’s most sensitive landscapes.