The ALFAwetlands Consortium held its annual meeting from June 26–28, 2025, in the vibrant academic city of Tartu, Estonia. Nestled near one of Europe’s largest bogs, Tartu served as the ideal location to host the event, bringing together over 50 experts and partners from across Europe. The meeting was hosted by the University of Tartu at the state-of-the-art Oecologicum building, home to the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, one of the partner in the ALFAwetlands project.
The 2025 Consortium Meeting (CM) marked a crucial milestone in the ALFAwetlands project, offering a platform to review progress, share new research, and shape future actions. The agenda featured technical sessions on Living Labs, updates from each of the project’s Work Packages (WPs), and strategic planning for the final project conference. Alongside internal meetings of the Advisory Board and General Assembly, a key public highlight was the presentation of the European Wetland Map — a powerful geospatial resource that promises to advance wetland restoration efforts continent-wide.
Field Visits: A First-Hand Look at Peatland Restoration
A major feature of this year’s CM was a hands-on field trip to Estonia’s Kuresoo Restored Site and the Öördi experimental area, both located within Soomaa National Park, which hosts one of ALFAwetlands’ Living Labs. These visits gave participants direct insights into restoration techniques and monitoring efforts. Experts demonstrated greenhouse gas (GHG) flux measurement methods for carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), enabling meaningful comparisons with other Living Labs across Europe.
Reflecting on the visit, Francesc Sabater Comas, Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona and project partner, noted:
“It was great to meet the ALFAwetlands consortium in person again. I’m impressed by the complexity of the work being done. The project is progressing well and holds huge potential for future research cooperation. It was also very valuable to visit the Estonian Living Lab sites — they’re completely different from what we have in Spain.”
Research and Innovation Across Five Work Packages
The ALFAwetlands project includes five research Work Packages, each pushing the frontiers of wetland science and policy:
- WP1: Meta-analyses & Land Use Assessment
WP1 finalized the European Wetland Map, compiling high-resolution, open-access GIS data across Europe. It also developed comprehensive wetland and land use/land cover (LULC) databases that now underpin multiple project analyses. - WP2: Co-creation & Inclusive Wetland Restoration
Through stakeholder workshops in Finland, Germany, Latvia, and Sweden, WP2 promotes participatory design processes that increase engagement, build capacity, and deepen stakeholders understanding. These efforts are instrumental in shaping equitable and effective nature-based solutions. - WP3: Ecosystem-Scale Restoration Practices
WP3 is compiling a Living Lab-wide GHG emissions database and has produced a finalized report on biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) monitoring methods. Innovative use of remote sensing tools allows researchers to track changes in wetness, vegetation, and surface temperature — essential indicators for restoration success. - WP4: Modelling & Scenarios
New EU-wide simulations assess the climate impact of rewetting peatlands used as cropland, grassland, and forest. WP4’s models explore multiple land use and climate scenarios, offering robust forecasts on emissions reduction potential via partial or full rewetting. - WP5: Economic & Social Impacts
Surveys across six countries (Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Austria, and Spain) are assessing public opinion on wetland restoration, recreational value, and ecosystem service perceptions. A separate landowner survey will explore attitudes toward restoration participation and financial incentives, with full results expected in 2026.
“Living Labs presentations, given during ALFAwetlands technical session, were really important for our overall project goals. By integrating citizen perspectives, microbial and satellite data, carbon flux monitoring, and modelling, ALFAwetlands builds a comprehensive foundation for science-based wetland restoration and climate policy,” said Tuula Larmola, Project Deputy Coordinator from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).