What do moss poetry, bog beings, and hand-drawn maps have in common? They’re all part of PeatZine – a vibrant, community-powered zine that’s bringing Calderdale’s moors and peatlands to life in the most imaginative ways.

This Autumn, Turquoise Arts CIC have been wandering the wild and wonderful stretch of The Calderdale Way between Cragg Vale and Todmorden, starting from Mytholmroyd, gathering stories, sounds, and squelchy inspiration. The result? ‘Peatzine‘ – a zine that’s part art, part science, part heritage, and entirely rooted in the local landscape. Co-created with the local artists, heritage enthusiasts, and curious members of the public, it’s a celebration of community storytelling and environmental wonder.

Here’s a peek into the adventures that shaped the first edition:

📚 Story Sessions with a Twist

The project kicked off with two lively story-gathering sessions in Todmorden and Mytholmroyd. Led by landscape writer Paul Knights, sound artist Jo Kennedy, and Culturedale’s heritage trainee Rowanne Smith, these gatherings unearthed tales of moorland life, layered with soundscapes and local lore.

✍️ Moss, Poetry & Invented Words

In Cragg Vale, writer Sally Baker led two creative writing workshops that began with walks around Withens Clough reservoir. Participants zoomed in on moss and lichen worlds, read moss-inspired poetry, and even studied sphagnum moss through loupes! The result? A budding Peat Glossary filled with quirky, local, and invented words to describe the landscape.

🗺️ Mapping the Imagination

Cartographer Christopher Goddard guided a map-making workshop at Broadhead Clough Nature Reserve, encouraging participants to reimagine the land through their own eyes. The maps created were as unique as the people who made them — poetic, personal, and full of moorland magic.

🧪 Cubs Go Bog-Hunting!

Melissa Davie from Hey Nature! led 21 Mytholmroyd Cubs on a bog hunt across Heptonstall Moor. They read moorland poems, met mossy plant communities, and discovered the star of the show — sphagnum moss! Back at HQ, the Cubs unleashed their creativity in a science-art workshop, inventing “bog beings” and bringing them to life through illustration.

🎨 Moss Meets Art at Ogden Water

Calderdale College’s arts access students spent a day studying sphagnum moss at Ogden Water Nature Reserve with Gill Wrigley and artist Sheila Tilmouth. They explored peatland history, moss propagation, and rewetting projects — then turned their findings into rust prints, cyanotypes, and other moss-inspired artworks.

📅 Coming Soon: Pop-Up Exhibition!

Before PeatZine hits the shelves, the project will be showcased at The Local Motive on 29th & 30th November. Expect original artwork, workshop creations, and two hands-on sessions:

• Zine-making workshop with Louise Crosby from LDComics
• Map-making workshop with Christopher Goddard. Book your place here

🌱 Powered by Community & Heritage

PeatZine is a collaboration between Turquoise Arts CIC, the Peatland Appreciation Society, Culturedale Heritage, Visit Calderdale, and the Calderdale Council’s Sphagnum Moss Propagation Unit — all made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Follow the journey:

• Instagram: @peatzine
• Website: turquoisearts.org/projects