COUNTRYSIDE Management students at Bridgwater College have been doing their bit to help save water in the South West.

The group has been working with South West Water on the Exmoor Mires Restoration Project, which aims to restore the natural hydrology of Exmoor National Park’s degraded blanket bogs, valley bogs and fens.

The students built wooden dams in a number of ditches, which had been drained long ago for agriculture and peat extraction, and cut peat to create more natural looking dams in the smaller ditches.

College lecturer Viv Fowler said: “The work was hard, but very satisfying, and the students felt they had contributed to an extremely important project, whilst also learning new skills.”

The restoration will enable the regulation of climate, water quality and supply, run-off and erosion, as well as the protection of the moor’s cultural heritage.