Peatlands occupy only 3% of the world's land area but hold twice as much carbon in their peat. At 500 gigatons, that is the total biomass of all the world's forests combined. However, peatlands drained for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction release disproportionate amounts of greenhouse gases and exacerbate the climate crisis. That is why, the Succow Foundation has been committed to the rewatering and sustainable management of peatland landscapes, globally and at its own backyard.

Recently, the Succow Foundation was approached by a group of artists called “Turba Tol” who will be representing Chile at BIENNALE ARTE of 2022. To underline the desperate need of preservation of their Patagonian peatlands, the Chilean Pavilion will put the plants on display in a basin where they will continue to live and grow like an artificial bog. Chile’s exhibition will be accompanied by various video and music installations. In this way, the artists, some of whom had helped with the harvesting themselves, will be giving the bogs a voice and highlighting the importance of this unique ecosystem. After all, peat mosses can truly be an alternative to peat in the long term, since unlike peat, they are a renewable resource which can be grown regionally. Rewetted peatlands cool the climate and reduce CO2 emissions significantly.

Around five to six tons of the mosses are needed for the art exhibition in Venice which equals around 60 square meters. When Raphael Sayn, Head of Direct Load in Bremen, was contacted by Susanne Abel from the Succow Foundation regarding this special load, he jumped at the opportunity to support the noble cause.

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“Sustainability is a core element of our corporate principles. That is why we have chosen to sponsor the Succow Foundation by providing free transport,”
comments Raphael Sayn.

The details were clarified quickly:
In three rounds, a 7.5-ton truck picked up altogether 250 crates full of freshly harvested plants from the Hankhauser Moor near Rastede - a small community northeast of Bremen.
At the collection point nearby, the six pallets were loaded onto a 12-tonner from the Hellmann fleet.
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The 1,300 km tour to Venice went off without a hitch and the moss arrived at the fairgrounds safely and on time.

The Venice BIENNALE ARTE 2022 opens its doors to visitors on April 23rd and will run through November 27th. Nothing will be discarded after the exhibition - the artists are sure that they will find further uses for the valuable plants.

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About the Succow Foundation

In 1999 Michael Succow established this foundation as a non-profit nature conservation organization whose goal is to: "Preserve, sustain, value". Since then, it has grown to an organization with more than 30 employees, engaging in projects in four continents, with initiatives including climate protection, protected areas, sustainable land use and the promotion of young people. One of the main focal points is the preservation of the peat lands.

Read more about the Succow Foundation and Turba Tol's art project here:
‍www.succow-stiftung.de/en
‍turbatol.org