Eastern Moors

27/05/2026

Due to essential maintenance Curbar Gap car park will be closed tomorrow (28/5/26) for the day.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

05/05/2026

met with rangers and the local gamekeeper today on Snake Pass and provided situational awareness on the extent of the fire and (by using thermal drone imaging) mapped where the smokers (areas of peat still smoking) and hotspots remain. Hotspotting (finding and digging out or wetting the considerable number of hotspots) will continue for at least several more days. //

04/05/2026

On Thursday night, Friday and Saturday, Eastern Moors staff and volunteers deployed as part of the Peak District Fire Operations Group to fight the wildfire on the Featherbed Moss area of Snake Pass.

25/04/2026

24/04/2026

24/04/2026

Well done all that were involved in responding to events this week. Thank you to those that called it in, all who attended or offered help. It is vital that we respond quickly to fire. If you see fire anywhere, including in the outdoors, please call 999 and report it immediately

Thank you to the fire and rescue service, rangers, and colleagues from Eastern Moors Partnership, Peak District National Park and Severn Trent Water who responded to a fire on moorland above the Derwent Reservoir yesterday. The fire was extinguished last night after around 10 hours.

We were on site at first light this morning to check the area. With the help of drone technology, and our colleagues at Eastern Moors Partnership, we have identified two hot spots under the peat that our teams worked on to ensure the fire doesn’t ignite again.

The team will also spend time today looking for any signs of where ignition might have started, mapping the area and fully assessing the damage.

The fire damaged moorland plants, and it will have had an impact on birds, insects and reptiles.

While the cause of this fire isn’t known, it shows of how quickly a fire can take hold and how damaging moorland fires can be.

We can all play a part in preventing moorland fires by not using BBQs, lighting fires or using naked flames and taking litter home with you.

We are working hard to increase fire resilience by rewetting the moors.

It is vital that we respond quickly to fire. If you see fire anywhere, including in the outdoors, please call 999 and report it immediately.

20/04/2026

Did you see us on the TV ?

last night (Sunday 19th April) focussed on the Peak District and a segment of it was about the acoustic recording units (ARU) that EMP deploy to record species. We were recovering an ARU from the Burbage Valley and analysing the data to identify species.

You can watch the programme via BBC iPlayer.

All images ©️ BBC.

03/04/2026

Windy and cold for the two pairs of fire wardens out tonight on the , but a stunning sunset to enjoy followed by a star filled night sky. Great to have Damian the new funded Wildfire Engagement Officer out with us this evening - showing him the patch. Loads of positive conversations with walkers. The photo is White Path Moss trig point end of Stanage taken from Burbage North.

27/03/2026

During lambing and bird‑nesting season (1st March – 31st July), small actions from dog walkers make a big difference.

Over the next few months, we’re asking dog owners to keep dogs on a lead or under effective control - and these simple choices really do protect wildlife, livestock and the landscapes we all love.

Here’s how your everyday actions help:
🐕 Keep your dog on a short lead where it counts
On open access land during this season (and always around livestock) a short lead is the simplest way to keep sheep safe. Even the gentlest dogs can chase when startled and lambing season is when ewes and lambs are at their most vulnerable.

🐦 Protect hidden nests and tiny chicks
Curlew, skylark, snipe and meadow pipits nest right on the ground, in nests that are almost impossible to see. A dog running freely across moorland, even in play, can disturb adults or expose chicks to predators. Keeping dogs close helps give these threatened species the best chance to breed successfully.

🐄 Give cattle space and know when to let go
Cattle are livestock too, so keeping dogs on‑lead around them is the right approach. But if cattle move towards you, let go of the lead so your dog can move away safely.

🐍 Look out for adders and protect your dog
The Eastern Moors is a stronghold for adders. They’re shy and non‑aggressive, but early in the year they’re slow to move. A curious dog can get too close before they’ve warmed up enough to slip away. Keeping your dog on‑lead or close by helps protect wildlife and keeps your dog safe too.

So please, from 1st March to 31st July, keep your dog on a short lead to help wildlife flourish and ensure people, their furry pals and nature can enjoy the moors side by side.

24/03/2026

One of the most iconic sounds of spring on the Eastern Moors is the call of the curlew. These tall, elegant wading birds with long legs, mottled brown feathers and a distinctive, down curved bill return to the moors in the spring and summer for the breeding season.

Although curlews can nest in a variety of places, they favour rough grasslands, moorlands and bogs, which makes the Eastern Moors in the Peak District an ideal place for them to raise their young.

You’ll often hear their call before you see them, because these birds nest directly on the ground, where their eggs and chicks are incredibly well‑camouflaged against the vegetation. This helps them hide from predators, but also makes them vulnerable to disturbance from walkers and dogs.

The curlew is now a Red‑listed species - meaning its population has fallen so severely that it is considered at the highest level of conservation concern in the UK.

To give curlews the best possible chance during the breeding season, it’s important to keep dogs on leads and give nesting birds plenty of space. These small actions make a big difference - helping people and nature thrive together and ensuring the curlew’s magical bubbling call continues to echo across the moors for years to come.

Learn more at: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/curlew

📷 RSPB