'Morridge Hill Country' Peatland Survey Tender

We are seeking costings for completion of a suite of surveys across peatland habitats that lie within one of DEFRA's Landscape Recovery Projects called 'Morridge Hill Country' and is located within the South West Peak of the Peak District National Park. These habitats are internationally important for wildlife, and its peatlands a major carbon store and includes areas of predominately blanket bog, wet and dry heath, mires, flushes, fringing clough woodlands and willow scrub. They are crossed with primary and secondary watercourses where in places groundwater emerges on slopes and wetlands and flushes have developed. The moors are also within the Peak District Moors (South Pennine Moors Phase II) Special Protection Area (SPA) and within the South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The moors support birdlife including short eared owl, merlin and upland breeding waders such as snipe and curlew. As part of the 20-30 year vision for these landscapes and associated nature recovery we require baseline survey information to inform potential enhancement works to these peatlands and provide a basis for future monitoring. The survey area covers 1585 hectares and is mostly located within the Leek Moors SSSI, and includes: • peat depth survey, • and vegetation survey. There are an additional number of sites that may also be included within the surveys these comprise an additional 149ha.