Enhancing farm environmental schemes

E-Planner is a free, web-based tool to help farmers identify the most suitable places for different environmental management options via easy-to-use, interactive maps.

E-Planner uses satellite and aerial imagery with national-scale environmental datasets to assess the relative suitability of land for a range of different environmental outcomes. These include:

  • Water resource protection
  • Woodland creation
  • Sown winter bird food
  • Flower-rich pollinator habitats
  • Wet grassland restoration

Suitability is based on combining data on factors such as topography, soils, nearby habitats and other landscape features. Suitability is then presented as easy-to-explore ‘heat maps’ for a chosen farm. The maps make it simple to compare the most suitable option for a given area of land or to find the most suitable location for a given option.

E-Planner supports farmer decisions by presenting complex environmental data in an easy to interpret way, to supplement their local knowledge. E-Planner also provides links to best practice guidance on how to implement and manage options.

Get started here or watch our short video to find out more: