VOLUNTEERS from local groups and the Friends of Ilkley Moor joined staff from Bradford Council’s Countryside and Rights of Way team to plant a further 4,000 sphagnum moss plants on Ilkley Moor this week.

Sphagnum moss is a vital component in encouraging the development of blanket bog, which forms peat and helps capture carbon and keep the moor wet.

Other benefits include increased biodiversity, reduction in flooding below the moor and increased resilience to wildfire.