For Peat’s Sake Project
FPS0
Programme of site visit
When you arrive on site, as a whole group
1. Familiarise yourself with what’s where and where you’ll be working
2. Get yourself into working pairs/threes
3. Fill in data sheet with date, site, grid reference and your names
4. Hear safety talk and what to do in the event of difficulties/accident
5. At peat core site –
a. see/try out how to use each piece of kit (backed up with written
instructions)
b. Take turns to help with using the peat auger to:
i. measure how deep the peat is and see what other layers
clay/silt you can find if any
ii. extract a metre of peat for each group to investigate
In pairs/threes, follow the instructions on the detailed instruction sheet to
record:
1. GPS reading.
2. Water level in the marsh using a dip well (plastic pipe) and metre rule.
3. Plant cover and proportion of plants which are wetland indicators.
4. Air temperature.
5. Soil temperature.
6. Soil pH
7. Soil moisture content –
a. by digging up a handful of peat (from about 50cm below the surface)
and squeezing it into a funnel. Do it 3 times.
b. by taking a sample in waterproof bag back to school lab for more
accurate measurement of (a) moisture and (b) carbon content.
8. Nitrates and phosphates in peat/water at top of peat core and at the lowest
level of peat in your core.
Based on materials produced for the MICCI project by Peak District National Park education service