On Friday 1st August we marked the successful conclusion of the current phase of our groundbreaking #Space4Nature project with a celebration event at the Hampton Estate in Puttenham.

Project volunteers and staff from Surrey Wildlife Trust and our partners at The University of Surrey, Buglife and Painshill Park came together for an evening of activities and talks whilst enjoying locally produced food and drink.

Made possible thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery, this three-year project has used the field of Earth Observation – combining satellite technology and artificial intelligence – to autonomously map habitats and identify opportunities to connect wildlife sites and increase biodiversity. 

Over the last three years, some 250 volunteers have carried out over 1000 'ground truthing' surveys on habitats including heathland, acid grassland and chalk grassland, feeding data back to our colleagues at University of Surrey's Centre for Environment and Sustainability.

The data they've collected will play a vital role in helping to develop machine-learning-led mapping technology which could transform conservation strategies and help reverse the fragmentation of vital habitats in Surrey and  beyond. 

The Space4Nature story doesn't end here! The Trust is now developing a citizen science strategy based on the learnings of the project, harnessing the power of volunteers to better connect and protect our wild places.

A huge thank you to the People's Postcode Lottery for funding the project, and to the hard work of our partners at the University of Surrey, Buglife and Painshill Park Trust.

A special thank you to our suppliers Karma soft drinks, Silent Pool Gin, Hogsback Brewery and Chimney Fire Coffee for providing free or discounted beverages for the event.