This innovative project will harness artificial intelligence and optimisation modelling to identify the best opportunities for expanding woodlands and trees across Exmoor National Park. By mapping how different land-use changes affect ecosystems, communities, and the economy, the project will enable smarter, evidence-based decisions that maximise benefits for nature and people.
Expanding woodland cover is essential for tackling climate change, boosting biodiversity, and enhancing landscape resilience. Yet where and how we plant matters. This project will develop new AI-powered tools that consider carbon storage, water regulation, habitat connectivity, and social value — ensuring that tree expansion complements other habitats and supports nature recovery in a changing climate.
By investing in this initiative, partners will help to:
- Create advanced digital tools to guide woodland expansion and land-use planning.
- Optimise tree and woodland cover for the greatest environmental and social outcomes.
- Integrate wood-pasture and mixed habitats that thrive under hotter, drier conditions.
- Inform national policy and investment through robust, data-driven insight.
This is an opportunity for your business to back AI for nature recovery — supporting the development of pioneering tools that will shape the future of woodland creation and sustainable land management across the UK National Parks.