Colorful neon sign spelling 'PIZZA' with each letter in a different bright color.

Peat Pen Pals [PPP] is an initiative developed to deepen and enhance creative engagement around peatlands.

Colorful drawing of a letter divided into four sections, each with a different colored background and a different doodle: pink virus, blue insect, yellow flower, and pink plant with a brown stem.
Child's drawing of a blue background with various colored sketches including a magnifying glass with a virus, a heron, a dragonfly, two candles on a blue doily, a cluster of yellow plants, and a pink and purple insect.

The initiative connects youth who have experienced a peatland and/or participated in RE-PEAT’s Bog Academy’s educational programme, encouraging creativity and reflection following their hands-on peatland excursions.

Peat Pen Pals gives youth the opportunity to creatively engage with peatlands and exchange letters with peers across borders, allowing them to socialise, share their learnings and experiences, and deepen their understanding of these unique ecosystems. This initiative helps bring peatland awareness and instills a sense of responsibility and stewardship for peatlands from an early age.

A handwritten letter on pink paper with a blue postage stamp graphic in the top right corner. The letter is addressed to 'Peat Pen Pal' and includes red cursive handwriting with a date of 20/05/2025 at the bottom.
Simplified diagram of a human brain showing frontal and occipital lobes, with the words 'Thoughts,' 'Feelings,' 'Behaviors,' and 'Emotions' connected to different areas.

2024: Pilot project launched between primary schools in the UK and Ireland

Group of people walking on a dirt path through a green park, some holding notebooks, with trees and grass around.
Child examining a plant specimen at an outdoor botanical event with other people present.
Teacher guiding students in a grassy outdoor area with trees, teaching about plants or nature.
A teacher interacts with young students working at desks in a classroom.

Peat Pen Pals (2024), Oxford, Oxford. ©Caroline Vitzthum

Find out more here : Peat-pen-pals — carolinevitzthumstudio

Child measuring paper with green ruler on wooden desk with pencil, glue stick, notebook, and stacked books.

2025: Development of a structured model in Ireland, leaning on Bog Academy’s network of schools and peatland excursions.

A girl wearing glasses and a black shirt is sitting at a desk, using a pen to write or draw on a sheet of paper. The desk has various stationery items, a water bottle, and a small stuffed animal resembling a white dog. There are books and a basket with more papers and school supplies nearby.
A person standing in front of a digital whiteboard or screen, reading a book or notebook, with colorful drawings and text displayed on the screen.
Students in a classroom sitting at desks, working on assignments with notebooks, books, and school supplies, some looking at a large screen at the front.
A girl with long brown hair in a ponytail sitting at a desk, looking at a computer screen with a drawing application open.
A child's hand holding a pink pen above a sheet of paper on a school desk, with pencils, pens, a ruler, and a red basket in the background.

Peat Pen Pals (2025), Ireland. ©Holly Bartley ©Monika Narozna

Collection of children's drawings and handwritten notes, featuring animals, plants, and colorful illustrations.

Peat Pen Pals (2025), Netherlands. ©Holly Bartley

As part of the PPP initiative, letters written by youth attending RE-PEAT’s Restoration Academy nature restoration camp in Friesland have been sent to youth on the East Coast of the United States, who will be attending the Farm & Wilderness summer camp in Vermont.

2026 and beyond: Expansion of the model to other countries, facilitating more cross-national exchanges between schools.

A colorful, stylized drawing of a smiling bear with a blue face and green body, outlined in a neon green color.

Learning Objectives

* Develops creative engagement with peatlands

* Encourages letter writing as a form of communication

* Encourages creative writing and self-expression from this hands-on activity

* Builds friendships and strengthens connections between young people across borders

Four colored pencils lined up horizontally, colored blue, orange, green, and red.
A cardboard box contains a Peent Pen Pal Teacher's Guide and a small package of miscellaneous items.

Peat Pen Pals (2025), Ireland. ©Holly Bartley

We’ve developed a teacher/facilitator guide to support the expansion of this initiative.

If you’re interested in the initiative and would like to contribute to its expansion or support us in any way, please reach out to us at info@re-peat.earth

This project was funded by Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme 2025

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A purple, line-art illustration of a bird with a long, curved beak standing on two legs.