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Fulltrúar og sérfræðingar vöktunarteymis Mýralífs sækja ráðstefnuna Power to the Peatlands 2026 í s'Hertogenbosh í Hollandi.
Fulltrúar og sérfræðingar vöktunarteymis Mýralífs sækja ráðstefnuna Power to the Peatlands 2026 í s'Hertogenbosh í Hollandi.
Peatland LIFEline team attends the Power to the Peatlands 2026 conference
15.09.2026

A delegation of Peatland LIFEline representatives from the Land and Forest Institute, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Agricultural University of Iceland attended the Power to the Peatlands 2026 conference, which was held on September 2nd-4th in s’Hertogenbosh in The Netherlands.

This second edition, which was first held in 2024 in Belgium, gathered this year around 750 experts, scientists, students and decision-makers from the entire European area to discuss the state of peatlands in Europe and their governance, share technical advancements and the latest scientific research, and learn from each other through best and bad practice experiences directly from field practitioners.

Í kringum 750 sérfræðingar og vísindamenn sóttu ráðstefnuna Power to the Peatlands.
Í kringum 750 sérfræðingar og vísindamenn sóttu ráðstefnuna Power to the Peatlands.

The Land and Forest Institute experts actively participated in the conference with talks and posters, including a poster on Peatland LIFEline, while the RSPB and AUI representatives created new and exciting connections for the future of the project.

Aron Alexander Þorvarðarson, verkefnastjóri Mýralífs hjá Landi og skógi, kynnti verkefnið á ráðstefnunni. Elisabeth Bernard verkefnastjóri stendur hér með Aroni í einu hádegishléinu. Sunna Áskelsdóttir sérfræðingur hjá Landi og skógi tók þátt í gerð upplýsingaspjalds. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
Aron Alexander Þorvarðarson, verkefnastjóri Mýralífs hjá Landi og skógi, kynnti verkefnið á ráðstefnunni. Elisabeth Bernard verkefnastjóri stendur hér með Aroni í einu hádegishléinu. Sunna Áskelsdóttir sérfræðingur hjá Landi og skógi tók þátt í gerð upplýsingaspjalds. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
Ágústa Helgadóttir, sérfræðingur hjá Landi og skógi og verkefnastjóri í vinnupakka fjögur hjá Mýralífi, hélt erindi um þátttöku landeigenda í endurheimt votlendis á Íslandi. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
Ágústa Helgadóttir, sérfræðingur hjá Landi og skógi og verkefnastjóri í vinnupakka fjögur hjá Mýralífi, hélt erindi um þátttöku landeigenda í endurheimt votlendis á Íslandi. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir

Important to involve the local communities

Although the variety of talks and presentations was very diverse and covered every aspect of peatlands and the challenges they face, the common thread linking and feeding all discussions was the need to fill in the gaps when it comes to stakeholders’ involvement in restoration projects, highlight the value in peatland restoration for European farmers through paludiculture initiatives (sustainable and controlled grazing, or crop cultivation thanks to new and more adapted technology), involve local communities more in citizen science monitoring programmes, and share better knowledge and know-how within the European peatland community.

A new network launched

The role of the LIFE Programme was particularly highlighted and represented as many peatland restoration projects in Europe benefit from LIFE grants to improve and restore degraded habitats. The conference was organized by Natuurmonumenten (Netherlands), Natuurpunt (Belgium), and Radboud University (Netherlands), in collaboration with Eurosite, NABU, the Greifswald Mire Centre, SER Europe, Wetlands International and the International Mire Conservation Group, who are all working on many peatland restoration LIFE projects in the European area.

A new network called the European Peatland Inititiative – administered by the Eurosite organization – was launched at this occasion, bringing together governments, governmental agencies, research centers, scientists, decision-makers, experts, and practitioners in a single unified network.

It was also an occasion for our Icelandic experts to visit typical peatland restoration projects in the Netherlands and Belgium area, although they are quite different from our Icelandic peatlands!

The next conference will be held in 2029, and we are excited to attend!

Photos from some of various field trips:

Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði Groote Beek í LIFE MultiPeat-verkefninu í Belgíu. Mynd: Elisabeth Bernard
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði Groote Beek í LIFE MultiPeat-verkefninu í Belgíu. Mynd: Elisabeth Bernard
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði Groote Beek í LIFE MultiPeat-verkefninu í Belgíu. Mynd: Aron Alexander
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði Groote Beek í LIFE MultiPeat-verkefninu í Belgíu. Mynd: Aron Alexander
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði Groote Beek í LIFE MultiPeat-verkefninu í Belgíu. Mynd: Elisabeth Bernard
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði Groote Beek í LIFE MultiPeat-verkefninu í Belgíu. Mynd: Elisabeth Bernard
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði í norðurhluta Belgíu. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði í norðurhluta Belgíu. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði í norðurhluta Belgíu. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði í norðurhluta Belgíu. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði í norðurhluta Belgíu. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
Heimsókn á endurheimtarsvæði í norðurhluta Belgíu. Mynd: Vigdís Freyja Helmutsdóttir
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