Schonwolder Moor

The Schönwolder Moor, located in the Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, is our first peatland restoration project in Germany.

This moor formed as a lake gradually silted up and dried out, a process that likely began after the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago. It was used as pastureland until the late 18th century, followed by peat extraction in the 19th century. In the 1950s, lowered water levels allowed forests to grow in the former bog. These changes have significantly disrupted the moor's natural ecosystem, which now requires restoration to recover its original functions.

The main goal of this project is to improve the water supply for the moor, reduce forest growth, restart the process of peat formation, and promote the growth of plants that are typical of raised bogs. To achieve this, we will focus on restoring the natural water levels in the moor.

We plan to gradually and carefully wet the area to ensure the best possible results for the environment. This includes removing the drainage ditches in the raised bog area and enhancing the ability of the surrounding fen to hold water, while also considering how nearby lands can be used.

The Schönwolder Moor remains home to a great variety of plant and animal species. Through this restoration project, we are working to preserve habitat type 7110 Active Raised Bogs, which provides critical refuge for highly specialised species such as Drosera rotundifolia (Round-leaved Sundew), Gallinago gallinago (Common Snipe), Boloria aquilonaris (Cranberry Fritillary), Rana arvalis (Moor Frog), and Grus grus (Common Crane).