In Surrey, tucked away among the hills and forests, lie tiny islands of heathland—one of Britain's rarest and most vulnerable habitats. Though they cover less than one percent of the country's land area, these heathlands support a unique and exceptionally complex ecosystem, home to hundreds of insect, bird, and plant species, many found nowhere else on Earth. Mapping these areas using traditional methods has proven virtually impossible—until now. Attempting to survey each patch on foot, especially given their fragmented nature and concealment among other vegetation, demands an insurmountable investment of time and money.
Researchers from the University of Surrey—specifically Professor Richard Murphy and Dr. Ana Andries from the Centre for Environment and Sustainability—partnered with Surrey Wildlife Trust, Buglife, and Painshill Park Trust to pilot a completely different strategy. They combined tools accessible to everyone with powerful algorithmic capabilities: volunteers' smartphones and high-resolution satellite imagery.
Trained citizen scientists conducted hundreds of surveys across two key sites, Chobham Common and Puttenham Common, using a specialized mobile application to record signs of heathland. Over 250 volunteers completed more than 1,000 surveys, gathering data that formed the foundation for machine learning. Algorithms then analyzed these observations alongside satellite images, soil data, and topographic information.
The results exceeded all expectations: the model generated a map with a resolution of just three meters—so precise it could detect even microscopic heathland fragments often missed by national surveys. This approach not only accelerates and reduces the cost of mapping; it also transforms ordinary individuals into active participants in science, turning their observations into a valuable contribution to nature conservation.
The methodology has already proven its versatility, having been successfully applied to map Surrey's fragmented chalk grasslands, which are similarly rare and vital. The research findings, published in the journal People and Nature, pave the way for regular data updates across the entire country and beyond.
The Space4Nature project has already gained international recognition; in November 2025, the UK presented it as a model of ecologically-focused innovation at the COP30 climate conference. This signifies that nature's hidden corners are no longer invisible to science. And once visible, they can be saved.
