Peatlands originally covered about 4% of Germany. In the meantime, they have become increasingly scarce, as more than 90% of them have been drained and are now used for agriculture or forestry. Water is an important feature of an active bog. A small plant, sphagnum moss, grows in height in swampy areas – but only about one millimeter per year. That means it takes 1,000 years for a meter of sphagnum moss to grow. This could put Harry's enthusiasm for the time warp into perspective!

Peat is formed when dead plant matter accumulates beneath a living layer of plants. Previously traded as a valuable fuel, this material is now used in horticulture. Meanwhile, peatlands serve an important, if little-known, role as a silent helper against climate change: massive amounts of water can be stored there, providing flood protection.

Furthermore, a moor stores far more carbon than a similarly sized forest. An excellent reason to renaturalize: Where water was once drained, it is now being dammed up again in places like Harry's favorite region, the Black Forest. In southern Germany, the word "moss" is synonymous with "bog."