Knepp is a pioneering 3,500-acre rewilding project in West Sussex that has transformed a formerly intensive dairy and arable farm into a thriving, functional ecosystem. Since 2000, the estate has shifted away from traditional agriculture to focus on restoring natural processes.
By using free-roaming herbivores to mimic the wild herds of the past, Knepp has reinstated “natural disturbance” to create a dynamic mosaic of habitats. This low-intervention approach has led to the spectacular return of rare species – such as nightingales, turtle doves, and purple emperor butterflies – establishing Knepp as a globally recognised model for ecological restoration.
The Challenge: The “Double-Handling” Burden
For Knepp’s ecology team – Lead Ecologist Matt Phelps and Ecologist Fleur Dobner – the field season is incredibly demanding. Between April and September, they conduct approximately 160 different survey visits – mostly breeding bird and butterfly transect surveys.
Historically, these surveys were carried out using paper and clipboard and the data needed to be scanned and transcribed once back in the office. This manual system was not only inefficient but could also result in missing data due to lost sheets of paper or weather damage. As soon as the team were introduced to Coreo, they realised the huge potential for improved efficiency and accuracy.
The Solution: A Liberating Shift to Digital
Matt and Fleur started using Coreo at the end of 2024, and the impact was immediate.
The biggest benefit has been the huge time savings due to the total elimination of data transcription. Now, as soon as a survey is submitted in the field, the data is instantly logged, secured, and ready for analysis.
“Coreo has massively changed the game – we no longer have to handle the data twice or risk losing it.”
Matt Phelps | Lead Ecologist, Knepp Castle Estate
Other Key Benefits
- Precision Mapping: Coreo has dramatically improved the accuracy of Knepp’s data. Instead of estimating a bird’s location within a 50 -100m block, Matt can now zoom in and pinpoint an exact location (e.g., a specific bush where a bird is singing). This accuracy is invaluable for repeat surveys and identifying specific animal territories.
- Real-Time Data Insights: The ability to filter data in the field is one of Matt’s favourite features as he can extract exactly what he needs and look at comparative data in the field.
- Lightening The Load: Moving to Coreo has lightened both the physical and mental load. Matt started off using Coreo on a tablet, but he now uses it on his phone and finds it very liberating being able to set off with just his phone and binoculars.
Results at a Glance
- Hundreds of hours saved annually on manual data entry
- Enhanced accuracy for territorial mapping and species tracking
- Seamless data continuity across a busy team of ecologists
The Element of Surprise
One of the most exciting part of working at Knepp is the unpredictability. As Matt notes,
“We truly don’t know what will turn up next; a new species could arrive at any point.”
Having Coreo in their pockets means that when those unexpected moments happen, the team is always ready to capture high-quality data on the fly, ensuring that no discovery goes unrecorded.
Image credits: Matt Phelps / aerial image Knepp Estate