Ireland’s peatlands face an uncertain future but a project to unearth its medicinal plants could prove a remedy for these degraded ecosystems
This episode, we head over to the peatlands of Ireland. Degraded and drained, Ireland’s peatlands face an uncertain future. But as journalist Lucy Kehoe discovers, a ground-breaking project to find new medicines, following leads from the country’s ancient folklore, may offer salvation. This long read is read by Sophie Pavelle.
In the second half of the podcast, we’re joined by writer Edward Struzik, author of Swamplands: Tundra Beavers, Quaking Bogs and the Improbable World of Peat. Struzik is a fellow at the Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen’s University. Here, he talks us through the wondrous world of peat, and why we need these carbon-rich, biodiverse landscapes more than ever.
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