£1.25 million Space4Nature Project Will Help Surrey Wildlife Thrive

Satellite technology from the University of Surrey will help protect and create new habitats for the county’s wildlife in a three-year £1.25 million project, Space4Nature.

Funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund, the university and Surrey Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Buglife and Painshill Park Trust, will use sophisticated earth observation (EO) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to boost biodiversity and conservation work.

The local community, including landowners and schools will also be able to get involved with Space4Nature as the project progresses.

The environment has become a very highly debated topic and the need for space to contribute to its protection is vital. Using EO data, the project will monitor and improve nature restoration work in Surrey. University academics will use very high-resolution images from orbiting satellites and deployed drones, and combine them with AI capabilities to map diverse habitats in Surrey.

The sophisticated technology means the team can zoom in to less than 0.5m2 to identify habitats, spot dangers and threats to wildlife, and find solutions which help protect nature. This includes creating wildlife corridors and ‘B-Lines,’ a network of wildflower insect superhighways, and how to protect natural habitats including those which experience high visitor numbers, as at Painshill Park.

The three-year project has six main objectives:

• Mapping from EO satellite imagery
• Very high-resolution data collection
• Ground-truthing through field survey work
• Development of automation and AI pipelines
• Paleo-ecology baselining techniques
• Outputs to support targeted habitat restoration

Space4Nature is not just a satellite project, it plans on involving the people from the area by engaging with landowners, communities, recorders, schools and volunteers. Building trust and inspiring the locals.

The project has several intended outcomes. First, Space4Nature will plan, deliver and monitor Surrey’s Nature Recovery Network and build a platform for new habitat creation and restoration. Second, thirty hectares of pollinator habitat will be restored or created in Surrey’s B-Lines. Crucially, the project aims to raise awareness with landowners and local communities about the importance of thriving biodiversity and protecting habitats.

Sarah Jane Chimbwandira, CEO of Surrey Wildlife Trust, said:

“Space 4 Nature will transform our ability to survey and assess land, allowing us to target conservation work so that it can have the biggest impact on biodiversity.

The project will create at least 30 hectares of habitat for pollinators. Coupling hi-tech solutions with boots on the ground will allow us to monitor the impact of this habitat creation on individual species and apply successful interventions for these species elsewhere in Surrey and beyond.

“The vision for this project is to connect Surrey’s nature by mapping and identifying the best areas of Surrey which can act as corridors to support a huge variety of species including bees, butterflies, birds and small mammals. Working with landowners, volunteers and community groups we aim to transform the plight of threatened species in Surrey. “