Press Release – VODAFONE PARTNERS WITH NATIONAL PARKS

Vodafone and UK National Parks partnership uses AI technology to help
connect people with nature and protect it for the future

• New polling[1] from Vodafone reveals that majority of people (82%) want to spend more time in nature with less than 1 in 10 (8%) able to do so daily.
• Brits agree that being in nature offers measurable health benefits including improved mental health (60%), physical health (56%) and emotional wellbeing (55%).
• Businesses can play a role in supporting nature initiatives: More than three quarters of those surveyed (78%) think businesses can help protect the environment, with almost half (47%) agreeing that tech-enabled solutions are important.
• New multi-year partnership focuses on connecting people with nature: From this year, Vodafone will be working with UK National Parks on several key projects, including AI Habitat Mapping, an important restoration project in Eryri National Park, and a community engagement programme in Northumberland National Park.

 

29 April 2025 – Vodafone and UK National Parks have today 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 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 innovative technology to help provide the 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 £8.4 billion[2], 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, with a huge 82% of people admitting 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, Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer, 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 the 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, CEO of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and 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. For more information on Vodafone’s work, access www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/sustainable-business/planet

To find out more about becoming a partner of the National Parks click here.

[1] Censuswide polling of 4,000 UK adults commissioned by Vodafone UK, 14-16 April 2025

[2] UK natural capital accounts – Office for National Statistics

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Notes to Editors

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For further information, interview and image requests please contact Bec Butler, Senior Partnership Communications Manager E: bec.butler@nationalparks.co.uk | T: +44 (0)7843 393962

About the Vodafone UK and UK National Parks partnership

The partnership will run for an initial three years and will include the following projects:

• Delivery of AI-powered habitat mapping across all fifteen National Parks. Vodafone will leverage its innovative technology solutions to provide analytics on user geolocation and footfall data, as well as using IoT sensors and smart wireless cameras, undertaking geospatial mapping, and using Network as a Sensor data to support UK National Parks with real-time, high-resolution data.
• A new engagement programme in Northumberland National Park which will engage individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, collaborating with them to ensure they can enjoy, learn and protect nature, to improve their health and wellbeing.
• The restoration of drystone walls and hedgerows in Eryri National Park: a key feature of Eryri is the patchwork field systems created by traditional boundaries (hedgerows and drystone walls), which are essential for local habitats to flourish. Restoring and repairing these hedgerows will benefit water quality and habitat connectivity, enable carbon sequestration and have pollinator benefits, while drystone walls will support toads, lizards, snakes, stoats and butterflies.

Together, these projects will demonstrate how technology can support nature and ensure more people feel connected to it. Further projects will be announced throughout the three-year partnership.

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

About UK National Parks

The UK is home to fifteen National Parks, with ten located in England, three in Wales, and two in Scotland. Combined they span almost 10% of land and are more than just protected landscapes; they are living, working environments where people and nature can thrive together.

Each National Park is managed by an Authority, an independent body funded by the central government and other sources. These authorities do not own all of the land within the National Park but are tasked with conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage of these areas. They promote opportunities for the public to experience and understand the unique qualities of National Parks while fostering the economic and social wellbeing of local communities.

2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which laid the foundation for the creation of these protected spaces. Today, National Parks continue to play a vital role and are committed to leading a transition toward a fairer, greener, and healthier future. By embracing large-scale nature-based solutions to create natural resilience, our National Parks continue to inspire, sustain, and benefit generations to come.

National Parks are open for everyone to explore, with more than 104 million visits each year, offering a chance to connect with nature and experience the beauty of the outdoors.

For more information, visit www.nationalparks.uk.

About National Parks Partnerships

National Parks Partnerships (NPP) unites companies, investors, and environmental funders with all fifteen UK National Parks to drive positive change for people, nature, and climate. Spanning the iconic landscapes of the Peak District, Lake District, Eryri, Dartmoor, Pembrokeshire Coast, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor, Northumberland, Bannau Brycheiniog, The Broads, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Cairngorms, New Forest, and South Downs, NPP operates at a national level to foster partnerships that enhance and protect these vital natural areas.

Since its inception in 2016, NPP has formed impactful partnerships with leading global brands, including BMW UK, Santander UK, and Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland. NPP’s comprehensive approach identifies and develops key projects in need of support, offering diverse opportunities such as deploying green finance through the Revere: Investing in Nature initiative with Palladium, to supporting innovative nature-based solutions that preserve and restore biodiversity, to staff engagement, joint marketing campaigns, in-kind contributions, and thought leadership. By aligning with both global and UK-based brands, NPP creates bespoke partnerships that deliver meaningful, lasting impact in National Parks and surrounding communities.

Censuswide – Polling methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide with 4,000 UK Respondents (Nat Rep 16+) between 14.04.2025 – 16.04.2025. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.

National Parks Partnerships