Vodafone and UK National Parks have announced a new three-year partnership that will use the power of Vodafone’s network and cutting-edge technology to help protect ecosystems, engage local communities and support the future of the National Parks.
The partnership will initially focus on the rollout of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered habitat mapping across all fifteen parks. This will help transform the approach to conservation, by securing detailed habitat and biodiversity data in just a fraction of the time it would take to produce manually. Vodafone will also use its technology to help provide UK National Parks with real-time, high-resolution data on biodiversity, visitor impact and habitat health. All of which builds on Vodafone’s recent network-as-a-sensor trial in support of flood forecasting along the River Severn.
The partnership will include a programme of initiatives designed to support access to nature and drive awareness of the health benefits it can bring. These projects will focus on how to increase engagement with the natural world, help more people access the National Parks, and support the existing 90 million annual visitors as they explore everything the National Parks have to offer.
Despite the health benefits of outdoor recreation having an estimated worth of £8.4bn, new research commissioned by Vodafone, to mark the launch of the partnership and better understand the public’s relationship with nature, revealed that just 8% of Brits are able to spend time in nature on a daily basis. A huge 82% of people admitted they want to spend more time in the great outdoors.
The polling found that only a fifth of Brits (21%) feel very connected to nature, with barriers like ‘not having enough time’ (34%) and ‘not having someone to go with’ (19%) among the most common reasons for feeling disconnected.
More than half of Brits (55%) use technology to engage with nature when they can’t physically be there, with younger generations the most likely to do so. 47% of 16–34-year-olds say they use tech – from looking at nature photos to following relevant social media accounts – to feel connected to nature and boost wellbeing. This age group are also the most engaged with physically spending time in the great outdoors, with 35% having visited a national park in the last two months – the highest proportion across all age ranges.
The research went on to show how Brits believe businesses can play an active role in helping combat UK nature issues. More than three-quarters (78%) of those surveyed said businesses could get involved with protecting UK nature by supporting tech-enabled solutions (47%), habitat restoration (45%) or improved public access (40%).
Nicki Lyons, the chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer at Vodafone UK, said: “We all have a role to play in protecting nature for future generations. For more than 40 years, we’ve been connecting our customers to the people, places and things they love. As The Nation’s Network, this also includes our natural environment. This new partnership with National Parks brings our technology together with on-the-ground initiatives to make a real impact.
“Importantly, our research not only shows that people want to engage more with nature, but that they expect businesses to play their part too, so we are proud to help meet that challenge.”
Catherine Mealing-Jones, the CEO of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and a national parks partnerships board member, said: “The outstanding beauty of our National Parks is unquestionable, but their value goes far beyond that. They play a vital role in restoring nature, supporting climate adaptation and driving jobs. Created to soothe a nation post-war, they continue to act as a ‘natural health service’ – supporting our wellbeing daily.
“Yet, there are still barriers stopping some people spending time in nature – whether that’s confidence or simply knowing where to go. That’s why partnerships with organisations like Vodafone are critical to help remove barriers and provide new tools and ideas that open up our National Parks to everyone – whilst protecting them for future generations.”
Vodafone’s partnership with the National Parks will run for three years and supports its efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 and address nature protection and restoration in the UK.
Comment on this article via X: @IoTNow_ and visit our homepage IoT Now
