voc ep: 55 & 56 Keith Underwood

This week on Voices episode 55 we’re breaking out the Muck Boots in search of naturally occurring peat bogs along the Severn. Keith Underwood, “The Bogman” leads an allstar team of biologists and ecologists to discover the true value of peat. Underwood & Associates has been working to protect and restore peat bogs for over 30 years, although many people have had difficulty understanding their value. For hundreds of years peatlands have been drained for agriculture, development, or to use large blocks of dried peat for a source of heat. However, the true power of peat can only exist when peat is allowed to remain saturated with water in its natural environment. Peatlands store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem (including forests and all other vegetation types combined) even though they only make up 3% of the planet’s surface. (U&A Associates newsletter www.ecosystemrestoration.com)

Keith Binstead, Keith Underwood, Michael Buckley, and Kevin Smith. (Photo courtesy Billy Moulden)

Week two includes a visit to Howard’s Branch, a regenerative native ecosystem site, to witness the majesty of the threatened, but here thriving, Atlantic White Cedar trees, and to explore a bog site envisioned, designed, and built by Underwood Associates 22 years ago.