Turf Nest Farm
In Development
Turf Nest Farm, Astley Moss, Greater Manchester

Turf Nest Farm

This 4.7ha land is of prime strategic importance, not only for its inherent value but also due to its location between key mossland sites. It will create a vital stepping stone within the historic peat mass of Chat Moss, helping to connect and protect remaining fragments of the peatland landscape to create a continuous swathe of habitat and develop an ecological network through the whole landscape for the benefit of people, wildlife and the climate.

  • Total Area (hectares)
  • project cost
Buy Credits from Turf Nest Farm

Our Wilder Carbon projects achieve a multitude of added benefits alongside carbon sequestration and reduction. We pick three unique features of each project to highlight the co-benefits of the projects.

Turf Nest Farm will create a vital stepping stone within the historic peat mass of Chat Moss, helping to connect and protect remaining fragments of the peatland landscape. 

It offers the opportunity to create buffers of re-wetted land to support the hydrological and flood mitigation needs of the key sites, and the re-introduction of mossland species over a greater area.

This project will stop the degradation of the peat and the current high emission of greenhouse gases, and bring back bog functionality (increasing carbon sequestration and biodiversity gains).

  • Icon showing connectivity

    Connectivity

  • Icon depicting flood management

    Flood management

  • Icon showing plant for peat protection

    Peat Protection

  • drone shot of Turf Nest farm cultivated field amongst peat bog
    Peatland Protection

    The fragments of lowland peat habitat that remain are commonly within significant areas of heavily drained peatland soils under agricultural production. These agricultural peat soils are responsible for the vast majority of carbon emissions from peat soils. In Greater Manchester, research showed that 90% of the total emissions from peat were derived from 3 forms of intensive agriculture. (Greater Manchester Peat Pilot Report for Defra, Sept. 2020). The continued use of peat in traditional drainage-based agriculture will also eventually result in the complete loss of the peat. There is a need to restore or develop sustainable land management for the remaining fragments of mossland. 

  • close of up of plant species on site
    Habitat Restoration

    This site would provide an opportunity to restore one of Europe’s most valuable habitats. Lowland raised bog habitat is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitat and internationally rare. There has been a dramatic loss in area of this habitat and most of these peatlands are in a damaged and deteriorating condition, having been drained, extracted and modified because of present and past land management activities, with an ever-growing demand on land use across these areas. The highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of all peatland types in England come from lowland peatlands which emit over 9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per annum (Evans et al, 2017).

Wilder Carbon Logo over Yellow and Purple Heather

EIUs

Calculating Estimated Issuance Units

If we are able to acquire funding to seize and capitalize on the opportunity before us, we can stop the degradation of the peat and the current high emission of greenhouse gases, we can bring back bog functionality (increasing carbon sequestration and biodiversity gains), we can create buffers of re-wetted land to support the hydrological needs of the key sites, and the reintroduction of mossland species over a greater area. 

Who can purchase EIUs and how?

PROJECT REGISTRATION DOCUMENTATION

  • Project Design Document - COMING SOON

  • Management Plan - COMING SOON

  • Monitoring Plan - COMING SOON

  • External Validation - COMING SOON

  • Management Agreement - COMING SOON

  • Engagement Plan - COMING SOON

  • Maps & Surveys - COMING SOON

  • Carbon + Habitat Tool Project Outputs - COMING SOON

  • Carbon + Habitat Tool Habitat Parcels - COMING SOON

  • Financial Additionality Justification Statement - COMING SOON

  • Risk Assessment - COMING SOON

In line with the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles, this project is undergoing the required public consultation process to ensure transparency, integrity, and local stakeholder engagement so in order to support this, a comment period is now open for 6 weeks from registration ending 22nd June 2026. If you wish to log a comment please click on the link below.

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