All photography provided by Erik Paterson.

Friends of Langlands Moss

With whom do we work?

We work in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council Countryside and Greenspace Service, Scottish Natural Heritage and other interested parties to improve and conserve Langlands Moss Local Nature Reserve.

WHAT DID WE DO FIRST?

Our first task was to improve the hydrology of the Moss which was slowly drying out. Since the LNR designation, many of the original drainage dams had deteriorated due to fire damage, weather and vandalism. We realised that to improve the hydrology we would have to begin a new damming programme and that would cost money!

WHERE DID WE GET THE MONEY?

We started from scratch so we applied to the Big Lottery Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage for money to purchase damming material. We did extensive and thorough research and after much discussion, we opted for APE heavy duty recycled plastic piling as a suitable damming material with a projected lifespan of forty or fifty years.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?

As more dams have been installed and the water level has risen, there has been a marked increase in sphaghnum mosses and other bog plants. To date, measurement of the water table has been informal but plans are afoot to begin more formal monitoring.