Welsh ‘Bogfather’ wins prestigious award!
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Peatland Specialist, Dr Peter Jones MBE, has been presented with a prestigious award at a UK peatland conference held in Swansea (11 June 2026).
The highly regarded Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award was presented to Dr Jones at the IUCN UK Peatland Programme’s ‘Peatlands Under Pressure’ conference, 9-11 June 2026.
The award is given in honour of renowned peatland scientist Richard Lindsay’s outstanding legacy of work for peatlands. It is awarded annually to recipients from anywhere across the UK whose outstanding dedication and passion for peatlands deserves to be recognised.
Currently Dr Jones leads on Welsh peatland policy and casework to ensure peatlands remain protected from the pressures of developments. He also provides strategic input UK-wide through the IUCN, Defra and other peatland initiatives. Dr Jones provides leadership in Wales Peatland Action (WPA) partnership groups, such as on Evidence and Monitoring, and his expertise is highly valued in the WPA Strategic Partners and Practitioners groups.
He was nominated by Mannon Lewis, NRW’s Strategic Projects lead for the National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP), who said:
“Pete has consistently been at the fore in the UK providing peatland expertise and representing Welsh peatland issues, raising awareness that healthy peatlands contribute to ecosystem resilience, biodiversity, carbon storage, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, water flow containment and wildfire suppression.”
Emma Hinchliffe, Director of the IUCN UK Peatland Programme said:
“Known as the Welsh ‘Bogfather’, and awarded an MBE in recognition, Pete’s dedication has single-handedly inspired a programme of action, unparalleled by anyone else in Wales. Due to his sustained passion, peatlands have moved from being a Cinderella habitat, overlooked and under-appreciated, to centre stage of Wales’ nature-based solutions.”
Ceri Davies, NRW Chief Executive said:
“This award is a great honour for one of our team. NRW prides itself on its specialists and subject experts, and Dr Peter Jones represents the best that NRW offers in his service to the environment and Wales. We warmly congratulate him on his award and thank him for years of dedicated service to the peatlands of Wales through his work at NRW.”
Dr Peter Jones, Senior Specialist Advisor for Peatlands at NRW/NPAP, showing surprise and gratitude at the ceremony, said afterwards:
“I feel so honoured to receive the prestigious Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award. This is a great honour to have been nominated and awarded by my peers, and especially in the name of Richard Lindsay whom I hold in the highest esteem. We in the peatland profession are at the forefront of tackling the climate and nature emergencies for the benefit of future generations.
"I hope future generations can reflect positively on the impact people like Richard Lindsay has made, as well as my fellow nominees, and all of the highly dedicated peatland professionals who the IUCN UK Peatland Programme gathered together at this conference.”
NPAP, is funded by Welsh Government, and managed by NRW, to lead on the peatland restoration work in Wales, through the Wales Peatland Action partnership. It delivered ahead of government targets in 2020-2025 and has been set ambitious targets to triple the restoration delivery in its 2025-2030 Plan.
The IUCN UK Peatland Programme promotes peatland restoration in the UK and advocates the multiple benefits of peatlands through partnerships, strong science, sound policy and effective practice. Over 400 delegates attended the IUCN’s three-day conference, online and in person at the University of Swansea.
This year’s award included a glass artwork plate of peatland by Natalie Thomas and was sponsored by Beada Moss.
Pictured is Dr Peter Jones MBE, receiving the prestigious Lindsay Peatland Conservation Award at the IUCN UK Peatland conference held in Wales, with colleague Mannon Lewis.