The PaludiNetz annual meeting recently took place at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) in Potsdam, bringing together 120 participants from nine long-term research projects across Germany working on the rewetting and sustainable use of peatlands. During the three-day event, participants exchanged ideas on the forward-looking approach of maintaining peat-preserving water levels in peatlands while at the same time using them economically.
A diverse programme included presentations of current research results, successful value creation opportunities in the ATB's fibre and biogas lab, and discussions on the opportunities and challenges of peatland use. A highlight was the presentation by Dr. Lukas Landgraf from the State Office for the Environment (LfU) on current activities in Brandenburg. Other highlights of the event included the marketplace, which encouraged exchange and provided information on current research results, and an excursion to the Götzer Berge observation tower, where personal exchange and networking took centre stage.
Prof. Dr. Annette Prochnow, project manager of the WetNetBB project, reports on this year's “PaludiNetz” meeting: ‘The annual meeting enables us to exchange ideas between projects and discuss which innovations are necessary for a transformation to sustainable peatland use and how they can be implemented.
The participants left the annual meeting with new ideas, valuable contacts and a great deal of motivation. The next meeting for next year is already being planned.
Further information on PaludiZentrale and WetNetBB, which organised this year's meeting, can be found here:
The model and demonstration projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) from the Special Climate and Transformation Fund. The project organiser is the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR).
The pilot projects are funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). The project is organised by Zukunft-Umwelt-Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH.