United for Peatland Protection: Restoration of Estonia’s Leidissoo Peatland Kicks Off

The initiative is a joint effort by the Michael Succow Foundation, the State Forest Management Centre of Estonia (RMK), the PlanBe – Bellwinkel Foundation for Environment Protection, which is also the main funder of the project, and with contributions of the HIT Foundation for Environment. 

"Through our long-standing commitment towards peatlands for climate and biodiversity and strong partnerships with Baltic partners, we now apply best practices in peatland restoration here in Estonia and across Europe, ensuring liveable landscapes and ecosystems for future generations”, says Jan Peters, Managing director – Succow Foundation, partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre 

The ceremony took place at the RMK Nõva Nature Center in Peraküla, Lääne County and marked the launch of a groundbreaking peatland restoration project and brings together key stakeholders for a site visit, and exchange on peatland restoration experience. 

Restoration efforts include blocking approximately 100 kilometers of drainage ditches by constructing over 500 dams, reversing decades of peatland degradation and allowing for the natural regeneration of this valuable ecosystem. Peat that is no longer covered by water oxidizes into climate-damaging CO₂. The consequences are visible – the peat is shrinking, literally vanishing into thin air. Worldwide, the revitalization of peatlands plays a central role in combating climate change, as peatlands store twice as much carbon globally as all forests combined. However, through drainage, peatlands have transformed from carbon sinks into carbon sources. Beyond reducing greenhouse emissions, rewetting the mire brings crucial ecological benefits: it enhances biodiversity, improves water retention, and serves as a preventive measure against wildfires – an increasingly important aspect in the face of prolonged droughts and rising fire risk in peatlands. 

“The man-made climate crisis is also a consequence of peatland drainage worldwide. Drained peatlands emit twice as much CO₂ as global air traffic. Only wet peatlands function as effective carbon sinks. This is why PlanBe is financing the rewetting of 811 hectares in the Leidissoo peatland, which will reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 7,000 tonnes annually”, says Michael Bellwinkel, Chairman of the PlanBe – Bellwinkel Foundation for Environment and Climate Protection. 

„Restoration works in Leidissoo Nature Reserve are unique for Estonia, given the public-private partnership in planning and implementation of the works as well as the fact that the cost of restoration works will be covered by a private donor. This is a first large-scale privately-funded wetland restoration project in Estonia which serves as a useful example and hopefully encourages other private donors to support restoration projects which increase resilience and naturalness of wetland ecosystems along with reduced CO₂ emissions from degraded peatlands, says Kristjan Tõnisson, Member of the Management Board – State Forest Management Centre of Estonia (RMK). 

Restoring Leidissoo: What You Need to Know  

The Leidissoo peatland is a protected area located in western Estonia, part of a Natura 2000 and Ramsar site. The project covers all aspects of peatland restoration, from planning and implementation to long-term monitoring, across approximately 811 hectares. The project had been initiated and steered by Michael Succow Foundation, implementation of the restoration measures has now begun and is being coordinated by Estonia’s State Forest Management Centre agency, RMK. The restoration project, running from 2022 to 2026, is primarily funded by German private foundations — mainly the PlanBe Foundation for Environment Protection, with additional support from the HIT Foundation for Environment.  

To raise public awareness, a multilingual information board (Estonian/English) will be installed at key access points for hikers and more information is planed to be made available in future at the RMK visitor centre. These will highlight the climate relevance of the project, its ecological objectives, and the role of participating institutions. 

 More Information:
 
Succow Stiftung | Baltikum: Moorschutzprojekte 
PlanBe Foundation
RMK – State Forest Management Centre of Estonia