Background The South Pennine Moors are a special area of conservation (SAC) included in the Natura 2000 network. This site is important for active blanket bog and represents the most south-easterly occurrence of the habitat in Europe. It also forms part of two SPAs (Special Protection Areas according to the Birds Directive) whose Annex 1 species, including golden plover, dunlin, short-eared owl and merlin, are dependent on blanket bog for breeding and/or feeding. The conservation status of the site is under threat due to almost two centuries of heavy sulphate and nitrate pollution, leading to the destruction or severe depletion of the essential sphagnum moss cover of these moors. Consequently, fire damage has led to more extreme levels of erosion than if the moorlands had remained sphagnum-rich. Erosion is so widespread that it is difficult for sphagnum to become re-established, while even areas retaining sphagnum cover remain under continued threat of further erosion and fires. The restoration of favourable moorland conditions therefore depends on the re-establishment of a sphagnum-rich bog surface. Objectives The main objective of the MoorLIFE project was to protect the 1 600 ha of active blanket bog in the South Pennine Moors by reducing the erosion on adjacent degraded peatland. To achieve this, the project aimed to restore 862 ha of active blanket bog through stabilisation, diversification and gully blocking. To ensure the future sustainability of the blanket bog, the project also aimed to carry out wildfire mitigation actions while also raising public awareness of wildfire risk and restoration. The final objective was to develop knowledge and understanding by effective communication to practitioners and policymakers. Results The MoorLIFE project was delivered by the Moors for the Future Partnership (MFFP) led by the beneficiary Peak District National Park Authority. The project restored a total of 893 ha of badly damaged bog, which has protected 2 500 ha of active blanket bog from becoming eroded. Monitoring work showed that the moorland is slowly recovering and provided evidence of the multiple benefits of the project’s conservation work. The project used heather brash, lime, heather seed, seeds of amenity grasses and fertiliser to provide a relatively rapid covering that stabilised bare peat areas. The amount of bare peat has reduced by between 90-99% following the conservation work. In other areas, the project aided the development of plant communities by planting plugs and seedlings of species typical of blanket bog, especially the Sphagnum mosses that are crucial for creating blanket bogs through active peat accumulation. Monitoring showed that typical blanket bog plants were seen in all quadrats surveyed by the end of the project, demonstrating successful vegetation establishment and succession. Over the course of the project, different methods of moss distribution were explored through the Sphagnum Technical Advisory Group. An evaluation of these methods was included in the project’s publication ‘Practitioners’ Guide to the Reintroduction of Sphagnum’. To stop peat erosion and to restore hydrological integrity, the project built low-maintenance stone dams to block gullies. Results from water table monitoring showed that two years after the seeding of degraded peat areas there was a significant rise in water tables, and that water tables remain higher for longer. A survey of the new dams showed that 100% held water and 82% were trapping peat. The conservation work and hydrological improvements therefore will enable the flora to continue on a trajectory towards Active Blanket Bog. Water quality data also showed a direct positive effect of the works, but long-term monitoring is necessary to determine the overall impact on water quality. The project carried out an innovative carbon audit, to generate an overall carbon budget for the project and to identify where carbon savings could be made (e.g. staff travel). The novel methodology was based on the Defra toolkit to ensure consistency with other sectors. It was the first ever carbon audit of a moorland conservation project, and provided valuable information concerning best practice in collecting and analysing data. Project activities raised visitor awareness of the risk, causes and damage caused by wildfires to blanket bog restoration sites. These including exhibits in visitor services and Be Fire Aware tools (games and displays), which have been widely adopted by the Peak District Fire Operations Group, the Manchester and Derbyshire Fire Services, and the Peak District National Park’s learning and discovery team in their educational programme. The project created the UK’s first interactive real-time wildfire risk map of Peak District moorlands. The project established several communication channels to engage the public with the project and its aims. Audiences were reached across different demographics, through traditional and social media. Innovative communication tools were developed to teach visitors about the importance of the moorland landscape (e.g. cultural heritage, ecosystem services, carbon storage, recreational and tourism value), the threats it faces and how to protect it. Tools included downloadable podcasts (with information about moorland restoration techniques and fly-over videos), audio trails, and field guide applications. These will continue to be used within the MFFP’s Community Science Programme, by volunteers across the South Pennines to identify and record species. MoorLIFE also disseminated its finding to professional audiences (scientists, land managers, policymakers) through publications, seminars and conferences. The project contributes to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), the UK Climate Change Act, and other EU and national policy. The project emphasised the importance of fully-functioning upland moorlands in providing a range of ecosystem services, such as clean drinking water, carbon capture and storage to mitigate climate change, and flood mitigation, through which important socio-economic benefits are derived from the MoorLIFE project’s activities. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).