Honeygar Farm, a Wilder Carbon Case Study

Honeygar farm is am 80-hectare former intensive dairy farm on the Somerset levels which is now was purchase by the Somerset Wildlife Trust in January 2021.

Situated on lowland peat, the site was largely drained in the past to increase the yield of dairy cattle. In its current form, the site is a net emitter of carbon emissions, estimated at 1,642 tonnes of CO2 per year, as carbon seeps out of the dried peat.

Now the site is being ‘re-wetted’ to restore valuable habitat for native species. Lowland peat can be one of the most carbon rich habitats known and so the site has potential, not just to reduce its emissions, but to one day sequester vast amounts of CO2 into the soil.

A restored Honeygar is strategically situated between several other wildlife reserves and will act as a corridor for flora and fauna, improving habitat connectivity.

The project is a test case for the Wilder Carbon standard for carbon credits. Incubated by the Kent Wildlife Trust, Wilder Carbon is a company which providing the UK’s only ‘conservation grade’ carbon units, owing to their commitment to sequestering carbon through the creation or res- toration of high-quality native habitat. Certified by the Soil Association, Wilder Carbon units also produce multiple co-benefits, such as uplifts in biodiversity and improvements in water quality, an approach known as ‘bundling’ (see Glossary, page 12)

Wilder Carbon Units are sold on the ‘voluntary market’ (see Glossary). To qualify for purchasing these units, buyers must be also demonstrably reducing their own emissions, avoiding greenwashing and ensuring emissions are also reduced at source. Wilder Carbon also takes a conservative approach to carbon emissions estimating, purposefully underestimating the capacity of sites to absorb carbon so that the process remains defensible and replicable.

This project will provide an opportunity to record, investigate and understand in detail the relationship between wilding ecosystems and carbon capture for lowland peat and forge partnerships to stimulate a new economic model for the Somerset Levels that puts nature-based solutions at its heart.

To find out more, visit Wilder Carbon’s website.

Public/Grant Funding

Legal arrangements

Parties involved

£100,000 grant funding of Wilder Carbon testcase through the Environment Agency’s NEIRF (Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund)

The farm site was purchased by the Somerset Wildlife Trust in January 2021.

Wilder Carbon units are accompanied by carbon credit certification.

Somerset Wildlife Trust – ‘Trusted deliverer’ undertaking conservation and restoration work.

Wilder Carbon – supplier and broker of conservation-grade carbon units from site for sale on the voluntary carbon market.

Soil Association (Certifier of carbon accreditation)

Environmental improvement

Re-wetting and restoration of lowland peat in the Avalon Marshes, an internationally important area of wetland. This will provide habitats for a range of rare and vulnerable flora and fauna, such as the illusive bittern, and connect other fragments of wetland.

Restoration of natural wetland will also likely result in improvements to water quality downstream of it, through the removal of phosphate and nitrate pollution and will act as a natural water buffer, reducing flooding risk locally.

Social impact and engagement

Retention of some limited grazing to maintain pasture habitat through lease of land to neighbouring dairy farmer.