Swiss foresters restore a national wetland
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In the Franches-Montagnes region of Switzerland, a team of fifteen foresters and lumberjacks are working to restore a 22.5-hectare bog, a type of wetland, that feeds the Gruère pond.
The project involves removing 1500 cubic meters of wood to access a drainage ditch dug in 1650. Workers are using an helicopter to lift and move large bundles of wood, weighing around 900 kg each, to clear the area.
The team will then fill the ditch with peat from the surrounding land to help the wetland regain its ability to store water. The Gruère pond, originally created to power a mill and sawmill, now attracts approximately 15,000 tourists annually. Marc Mallet, a scientific collaborator at the Jura Environmental Office, called the restoration “the project of the century” for the canton’s wetlands.
The Swiss government has invested over 5 million francs in the restoration, recognizing the bog as a site of national importance due to its ecological value and carbon storage potential.
