RSPB Lake Vyrnwy Peatland Restoration 2026-27: Trum y Sarn

RSPB Cymru is looking to appoint a contractor to deliver works on the RSPB Lake Vyrnwy estate as part of an extensive ongoing programme of peatland restoration. The contractor will be using excavators to raise water tables across blanket bog by blocking drainage ditches and gullies with peat, reprofiling peat hags and contour bunding.

Trum y Sarn (78ha) is northeast of the Lake Vyrnwy nature reserve which itself is in Gwynedd, just bordering Northern Powys at the southern end of the Berwyn. The land is managed by RSPB Cymru on a long-term leasehold from Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

The site is extensively drained and the highly heather-dominated vegetation structure on deep peat indicates this. Works planned to block draining features will support aims to not merely to ensure that the habitat is in favourable condition and not emitting carbon, but to ensure it underpins a healthy and resilient peatland ecosystem. This resilience includes water provision and storage, resilience to stochastic events such as wildfire, in combination with its cultural and visual value and support for biodiverse ecosystems of wildlife.