Streamlining UKHab surveys and BNG assessments

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A laptop and a phone showing screenshots of the UKHab BNG Platform and the official UKHab App.

The Challenge

Traditional pen and paper methods can make ecological data collection slow and cumbersome.

The average ecologist spends many hours per survey manually recording and transcribing data, leading to errors and inconsistencies. The introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has added further complexity, requiring intricate calculations and data management.

A phone showing a screenshot of the Coreo UKHab app with a map and planned out habitats on it.
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A phone with a screenshot of the Coreo UKHab app, showing pre-surveys and surveys
A section of the UKHab BNG platform showing download options, including the BGN metric calculator.
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A laptop showing a screenshot of the map screen of the UKHab BNG Platform

The Solution

Natural Apptitude, in collaboration with UKHab authors, developed the UKHab & BNG Platform – a streamlined solution for managing UKHab surveys and BNG assessments.

The platform, powered by Coreo and compatible with the statutory metric, boasts several features that improve efficiency and accuracy. For example, the app integrates descriptions of all UKHab codes and species lists, eliminating the need for manual reference. Powerful mapping tools with real-time data capture reduce errors and ensure consistency and the platform automatically populates the Metric 4.0 calculation tool with the survey data.

Controls from the advanced mapping tools in the UKHab BNG platform, including cut out, merge and difference tools.
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A spread of phones and a laptop screen all showing screenshots of the UKHab app and platform
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The Impact

The UKHab & BNG Platform has revolutionised workflows for ecological consultancies. Urban Green reports a staggering 65% increase in UKHab survey efficiency using Coreo.

Beyond efficiency, users highlight the platform's user-friendliness:

“By its nature, the UKHab survey is complicated, but the app makes the process streamlined and straightforward for us.”  says Charlie Lawler, GIS Technician at Urban Green

Users also emphasised the convenience and time-saving benefits:

“For someone who was doing surveys on paper before, having all the information and condition assessments built into the app is so much more convenient and efficient. It’s wonderful!” says Alan Preece, Ecology and Green Infrastructure Specialist at Telford and Wrekin Council
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A laptop showing a screenshot from the UKHab BNG platform, showing species quadrat information.
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“Coreo streamlines the process of mapping habitats and makes habitat surveying much simpler than it used to be for the team. Using the app helps ensure that resulting maps are consistent and accurate, and, therefore, the final BNG reports are accurate.

The UKHab Survey app has increased Urban Green’s habitat survey efficiency by around 65%"

Shannon Brady
Senior Biodiversity Net Gain Consultant
Urban Green

“Coreo streamlines the process of mapping habitats and makes habitat surveying much simpler than it used to be for the team. Using the app helps ensure that resulting maps are consistent and accurate, and, therefore, the final BNG reports are accurate.

The UKHab Survey app has increased Urban Green’s habitat survey efficiency by around 65%"

Shannon Brady
Senior Biodiversity Net Gain Consultant
Urban Green

“This is an absolute game-changer for ecological field surveyors and is fast becoming the industry standard for UKHab data collection and BNG work.”

Emily Drinkwater
Associate Ecologist
SLR

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