Samantha Brown

A Blanket of Gold

A Blanket of Gold is my ongoing photography series about the rare blanket bog of the Flow Country in the far north of Scotland - the most extensive blanket bog system in the world. Covering an area of circa 4000 km2 in Caithness and Sutherland, the blanket bog comprises a complex set of pool systems and moss vegetation which generates peat and acts as a carbon sink.

It's been estimated that the carbon stored in Scotland's peatlands represents 100 years' worth of the country's emissions from burning fossil fuels: it would be disastrous if it was released. However, some areas of the bog have been damaged or are under threat as a result of conifer plantations, artificial drainage, and heather burning. Efforts are ongoing to maintain the bog, so the carbon is not released.

The series captures the remote beauty of this habitat, the otherwordliness of the bog itself, and it also shines a light on some of the heroic scientists which are fighting for its preservation.

These scientists include:

>Professor Roxane Andersen, from the University of Highlands and Islands, who is a leading authority on peatlands and heads up research relating to peatlands restoration and climate change at the university.

>Professor Stewart Angus, the current Coastal Ecology Manager at Naturescot. When Stewart started his career, in the early 80s, he wrote the first internal report for the organisation which argued for the conservation of the peatlands on ecological grounds. At the time, large swathes of the peatlands were being given over to conifer tree plantations, which the super rich were investing in as a tax break. Whilst tree planting might sound innocuous, conifers are not indigenous to the local land. They don't thrive here and they degrade the peat by drying the bogland.

Stewart's paper, along with the work of his peers, helped to close the tax loophole, and prevented further conifers from being planted. This was before the scientific community understood how the blanket bog of the Flow Country acts as a carbon sink.

>Magnus Davidson, a social scientist and researcher at the University of Highlands and Islands. Magnus' work focus on the human impact of sustainability solutions, working with local communities to transition to a green future.