E‑Surveyor
AI-driven plant and insect identification mobile app
DescriptionOverview of the initiative and its approach.
E‑Surveyor is a free mobile app that assesses the quality of wildflower habitat farmers created on their land using AI‑driven plant species identification, structured surveys, and benchmarking against national habitat quality checklists.
TechnologyTechnology used by the initiative.
The app uses AI-based image recognition to identify thousands of plant species from user photos, runs structured GPS-guided habitat surveys, and connects to a web interface for data export and comparison.
TargetUsers, groups, or communities targeted by the initiative.
The initiative’s target users are farmers, landowners, and advisors implementing agri-environment schemes across the UK. The mobile app has over 1000 downloads on Android app-provider shops as of July 2025.
Business modelHow the initiative delivers and sustains its value.
The app is fully free for Android and iOS. The initiative received financial support from the Natural Environment Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and Joint Nature Conservation Committee Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment project.
ImpactThe observed or intended effects of the initiative.
The app intends to provide rapid in-field habitat assessment, support compliance with agri-environment schemes, and enhance biodiversity data collection. Pilots demonstrated accurate plant identification and improved user knowledge applied to habitat management.
PartnersOrganizations and stakeholders involved in the initiative.
Natural Environment Research Council; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Four BettersThe FAO Four Betters supported by the initiative.
Better production
Better environment
