FROM THE ASHES:

Signs of life are returning to a beauty spot – less than two years after it was devastated by fire. In August 2018, a large swathe of land at The Roaches, in the Staffordshire Moorlands, was destroyed in a blaze. Around 150 acres went up in flames. But Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has worked continuously to restore the area. Gritstone dams and peat bunds have been created in the ditch network to hold back water, rewetting the blanket bog. Plants are also regenerating. Roaches Warden Jon Rowe said: “There is a long way to go but this is a promising start. We’d like to say a big thank you to all those volunteers who helped plant thousands of sphagnum plugs during the winter.”