Scientist Dubbed The Bogfather Restores Welsh Peatlands to Fight Climate Change

Dr Peter Jones has spent three decades restoring bogs, fens and wetlands across Wales, earning him the nickname "The Bogfather" from younger colleagues, the BBC reported.

His work focuses on peatlands, which store 30% of Wales's land-based carbon despite covering only 4% of the surface. According to the BBC, these landscapes are about 90% degraded, meaning they leak greenhouse gases instead of storing them.

Jones is offering policymakers a nature-based solution that tackles climate change, flooding, wildfires and biodiversity loss simultaneously. Healthy peatland can slow the flow of water, helping prevent flooding, and act as natural firebreaks during wildfires—both of which are expected to become more common as the climate warms, the broadcaster reported.

Now in his 60s, Jones's passion for peatland was ignited at age eight during a visit to Cors Caron, a national nature reserve near Tregaron. His colleague Hanna Huws told the BBC that given how much work he has done to restore peatland, few would argue with the nickname.

Jones was awarded an MBE in 2024 for services to Welsh peatlands and to the community in Wales, according to the report.