Natural Climate Solutions
Natural climate solutions offer immediate and cost-effective ways to tackle the climate crisis—while also supporting healthy, thriving communities and ecosystems.
Global Lessons from North Carolina’s Peatlands
Around the world, TNC experts are sharing practical, proven techniques to protect one of the world’s most powerful natural climate solutions.
January 30, 2026
It’s a chilly January day in North Carolina, and a group of TNC experts is standing on the side of a gravel road looking fondly at a large steel culvert. It’s a beautiful thing. This culvert, jutting out from the water’s surface in a drainage ditch, represents decades of research and innovation. It’s a tested and proven solution to one of our planet’s most pressing environmental challenges: How to restore carbon-rich peatlands to both slow down and adapt to climate change.
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Sign UpThis one happens to be at Angola Bay Game Land in the southern U.S. But halfway around the world, in Indonesia, similar structures in similar ditches are doing work that’s just as vital. And today, Dr. Nisa Novita, Peatland Strategic Lead for TNC's Indonesian affiliate, is here to compare notes with her North Carolina counterpart, Eric Soderholm, Coastal Wetland Restoration Manager.
Though peatlands cover only 3% of the planet’s surface, they account for more soil carbon than all the world’s forests. Protecting and restoring them now is important not only for regulating the climate, but also for reducing the risk of floods and fires made worse by climate change.
A Peat Origin Story
In many ways, TNC’s global peatlands strategy was born here in the pocosin wetlands of North Carolina. Since the early 2010s, the North Carolina chapter has worked alongside federal and state agencies in places like Great Dismal Swamp and Pocosin Lakes to restore water flows to peatlands that have been drained and dried out over the previous two centuries.
Sphagnum Moss
TNC and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission restored 7500 acres of ditched pocosin in Angola Bay Game Land.
© TNC
Pocosin Peatlands
Pocosin peatlands are a globally rare type of peatland characterized by deep, acidic and sandy soils. They are found across the coastal plain in the southern United States, where they have been degraded by centuries of ditching and draining. Learn more about North Carolina's pocosin peat.
“There’s a canal at Great Dismal Swamp that’s named for Martha Washington because George Washington tried to drain it,” Eric notes. “That’s how long draining wetlands has been embedded in the culture. It spans the age of the country.”
With both this historical context and the urgency of his task front of mind, Eric and his team have erred on the side of pragmatism.
Boards in a culvert are raised to precisely the right height to ensure water flows out during a storm but keeps the spongy peatlands moist; weirs are built with durable sheet piling meant to withstand severe weather; and basic PVC pipe protects an electronic data logger from curious bears.
Local Origins
Led by Eric Soderholm, TNC worked with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to restore 7,500 acres of ditched pocosin in Angola Bay Game Land.
© TNC
Global Lessons
Dr. Nisa Novita, who leads peatland work for TNC's affiliate YKAN in Indonesia, visited Angola Bay Game Land in North Carolina to observe local peatland restoration techniques.
© TNC
Local Origins
Led by Eric Soderholm, TNC worked with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to restore 7,500 acres of ditched pocosin in Angola Bay Game Land.
© TNC
Global Lessons
Dr. Nisa Novita, who leads peatland work for TNC's affiliate YKAN in Indonesia, visited Angola Bay Game Land in North Carolina to observe local peatland restoration techniques.
© TNC
Here, they’ve pioneered practices that are good for both the ecosystem and the people who depend on it. Hunters who value the land for sustenance and recreation, the communities nearby who may be impacted by floods, and the agencies responsible for long-term management all benefit from peatlands restoration.
Over the last 15 years or so, these practical restoration techniques have been replicated across the region—and around the world.
Shared Lessons
Nisa’s reaction to the North Carolina peatland project is a mix of both surprise and familiarity. When Eric pulls out a chunk of peat with a hand-powered auger, Nisa points out how much darker this organic material is compared to the stuff she’s used to at home. But when he describes the matrix of drainage ditches (140 miles’ worth at this 7,500-acre site), Nisa nods knowingly; the ditch networks in Indonesia are just as dense.
Quote: Dr. Nisa Novita
Poscosin Peat Pocosin peatlands are a globally rare type of peatland characterized by deep, acidic and sandy soils. © TNC
The uses may be different, but the challenge is the same.
Dr. Nisa Novita
Peatland Strategic Lead, Indonesia
Koran River
Koran River // The camp for peatland restoration that monitors the flora and fauna in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan Indonesia
© Markurius Sera/TNC Photo Contest 2022
Indonesia Peat Potential
In Indonesia, rewetting drained peatlands can account for 34% of the country's Nationally Determined Commitment (NDC), the goal set under the Paris Climate Accord. In this region, peat can be found that's up to 60 feet deep, storing thousands of years' worth of carbon. Learn more about the Indonesia peat program.
Just like in the U.S., there’s a legacy of draining wetlands in Indonesia. While Eric thinks about how to incorporate the values of hunters in his restoration plans, Nisa thinks about farmers who use drainage canals as a mode of transportation and a water source.
“From our experience, we need at least one or two years to engage with a community before we begin a project,” she says, talking about the similarities between her work in Indonesia and the work here in North Carolina. “The uses may be different, but the challenge is the same.”
This, she and Eric agree, is a unique strength of TNC’s peatland strategy. There are many aspects of peatland restoration—from the materials used to build culverts and weirs to the principles upheld to build trust and long-term partnerships—that translate across boundaries. Thanks to collaborative moments like this one, a global peatlands network is sharing knowledge and best practices that will uplift projects in all places.
Quote: Learn About Natural Climate Solutions
Peatlands can be found in 180 countries around the world, and protecting and restoring them is critical for slowing the impacts of climate change.
A Global View
In fact, this type of knowledge exchange is embedded into how TNC works on peatlands around the world. In December 2025, team members from TNC Mongolia visited a peatland project in Indonesia to learn and observe from colleagues in the field. The trip provided valuable exposure to peatland research methodologies and conservation strategies. One of the most significant takeaways was the opportunity to observe, firsthand, the operation of key instruments, such as the flux tower and the eddy covariance tower, used in peatland research for baseline data collection and monitoring.
After all, peatlands can be found in 180 countries, and protecting and restoring them is critical for slowing the impacts of climate change. Unless we act now, peatlands will shift from a net carbon sink to a net carbon source this century.
Over the last few years, more science has been done to show the extent of existing peatlands and where protecting and restoring them would be most impactful. Thanks to this growing body of knowledge, there is more momentum than ever for governments and communities to protect and restore these critical ecosystems.
Our vision is a world where peatlands and the people who depend on them thrive—whether it’s in North Carolina or Indonesia.
More about Natural Climate Solutions
Science shows that—combined with cutting fossil-fuel use and accelerating renewable energy—natural climate solutions can help us avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
