Guodžiai Peatland Restoration and Protection

Project objective. The objective of the project is to restore the hydrological regime of the degraded Guodžiai Peatland (Biržai District, Lithuania), creating favourable conditions for the recovery of its peatland ecosystem.

Project overview. The project area is an abandoned peat extraction site of approximately 100 hectares in Biržai District, within the Purvai-Guodžiai peatland complex. This peatland complex developed over thousands of years and is an important part of the region’s natural landscape supporting water regulation and biodiversity. As a result of peat extraction and drainage activities, part of the area has lost its natural peatland functions and is now a significant target for ecological restoration.

To protect the peatland from further peat extraction and gradually restore a healthy peatland ecosystem, the site will be acquired, comprehensive site assessments will be carried out, and the natural hydrological regime will be restored. These actions will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the area's resilience to climate change impacts such as droughts, floods, and wildfires, contribute to the restoration of natural water regulation, and help restore home for peatland plant and animal species.

The project will also seek to engage stakeholders and local communities in the restoration process and raise public awareness, increasing understanding of the importance and benefits of peatland restoration, encouraging participation, and strengthening support for peatland restoration efforts.

Planned activities

• Land acquisition; 

• Geological investigation of the peat deposit to assess the remaining peat resources, and removal of the site from the Register of Subsurface Natural Resources to prevent potential future peat extraction; 

• Planning of hydrological restoration and other conservation management measures; 

• Restoration of the peatland’s hydrological regime to create favourable conditions for the recovery of the peatland ecosystem; 

• Promotion of vegetation recovery and experimental re-establishment of peatland plant communities; 

• Public education and engagement of local communities in peatland restoration; 

• Monitoring of water levels, vegetation changes and other related activities.

• The views and opinions expressed in this text are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Florian Rehm.