Space4Nature, the groundbreaking habitat mapping and conservation project led by Surrey Wildlife Trust and University of Surrey, is preparing to start its second year of operation by deploying teams of volunteers to study the plants and animals found at two of Surrey’s most beautiful locations – Sheepleas nature reserve near Guildford and Painshill Park in Cobham.
The volunteers will use a specially-designed app to assess and record which plants, animals and types of habitat exist on specific areas of these sites – two rare chalk grassland meadows (Coronation Meadow and Summerhouse Meadow), an area of scrubbier meadow in Sheepleas and two areas of semi-cultivated grassland at Painshill. These results will then help complete the design of Artificial Intelligence software that will be used to accurately match specific types of habitat with similar habitats close by using satellite Earth Observation images. In this way, large-scale plans to connect and protect these green spaces in a way that works best for wildlife can be developed.
Sheepleas, an 110-hectare mosaic of ancient woodland owned by Surrey County Council and managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust, is one of the finest nature reserves in Surrey and is home to more than 30 species of butterfly alone, including the Brown Argus, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Silver-washed Fritillary and Purple Emperor, along with abundant fungi and lichens. The rare Marsh Tit is present, and 12 species of orchid have been recorded. The chalk grassland areas provide spectacular displays of wild flowers, including Cowslip and Salad Burnet, and are home to a rich diversity of wildlife including Skylarks.
Designed as a ‘living canvas’ by 18th Century landscape garden pioneer the Hon Charles Hamilton, Painshill Park boasts a large lake, woodland, and a vineyard as well as grassland. It is home to a wide range of native species from birds and bats to insects, wildflowers and amphibians. The Painshill Park Trust has developed a ten-year plan to increase biodiversity and bio abundance across the site. This includes the adoption of organic vineyard management practices and an amended mowing schedule for meadowed areas to maximise their value to wildflower species, pollinating insects, birds and small mammals.
Painshill Park Trust Director, Paul Griffiths, says:
“Studying the meadows at Painshill in depth will help us to understand and conserve what lives there more effectively, whilst helping design a hugely important new system for assessing and categorising Surrey’s diverse habitats. Painshill Park has a dedicated and hugely valued team of volunteers, and I am proud that they will be helping contribute to a project that could eventually have a national and even international impact on conservation practices.”
Space4Nature Project Manager Andrew Jamieson says:
“Space4Natue not just a high-tech project for scientists - it also offers a great way for local people to help learn about what lives in Surrey’s world-class landscapes, and contribute to plans to protect our most precious flora and fauna.
“Sheepleas and Painshill Park are very different habitats, but both represent important aspects of our county. We’ll be closely examining the terrain in both these special places to both test our evolving Artificial Intelligence capabilities and help inform immediate and longer-term conservation plans. With the climate and nature crisis becoming more severe, these solutions are urgently needed to ensure that wildlife has access to everything it needs to feed, travel and reproduce safely.”
In 2023, Space4Nature deployed more than 130 volunteers to some of the county’s most important heathland habitats, including Chobham Common and Puttenham Common, to help inform the initial development of its AI programmes. Through a partnership with Buglife’s B-Lines project, it also worked to create and connect more than 36 hectares of habitat for pollinators, including at Quarry Hangers near Caterham and Rosamund Meadows and St Marthas Hill outside Guildford. Later this year, the Space4Nature team intends to extend its operations to wetland habitats, to help provide a more comprehensive understanding of Surrey’s most important places for wildlife, and what steps might be taken to connect them up.