Habitat mapping: a guide for EYFS
Mapping the habitats on your site is one of the first steps to make a difference to your space – whether it's already buzzing with life or a little greyer than you would like. The habitats you identify on your site will support real-world, global biodiversity research.
For Early Years settings, habitat mapping isn't required as part of your Nature Park journey. However, you may wish to complete this process as a member of staff to learn more about what opportunities are present in your outdoor space before making improvements.
This guide will walk you through the process of mapping the habitats on your site, and ways to involve younger learners as you go.
1. What habitats do you have?
Your site likely includes several different types and sizes of habitat – you may need to map all eight different habitat categories, or you may only have two or three.
Use the checklist below to tick off which habitat types you have on site before you prepare to map them using our online tool.
2. Learning about your space and habitats with learners
Below are suggestions of Nature Park activities to engage younger learners in the process of exploring and getting to know their space and learning about homes for wildlife.
Try out these activities
X marks the spot
Begin activityGarden detectives
Begin activityHabitat Heroes
Begin activityGuess the habitat
Begin activityPoints of view for younger learners
Begin activity
Observing changing states
Begin activity
3. Map your habitats
Before you start:
- make sure you’ve created your site boundary on the Nature Park map – it only takes a few minutes
- you will need internet access on a digital device to map your habitats using our Habitat Mapper tool – you could use a mobile device such as a tablet to add habitats as you walk around your site (if you have internet connection outdoors), or use a computer
- to help you identify each habitat on your site, use our handy flowcharts (below)
- practise using the Habitat Mapper tool – make sure you are logged in to your account on the Nature Park website using a tablet or computer, and click the button below to open the Habitat Mapper. If asked to log in again, just click the big blue button that states: ‘Click here to access Nature Park National Education Nature Park Hub Community’
Open Habitat Mapper toolTroubleshooting guide
You can find more support on using the Habitat Mapper tool by accessing our digital tools how-to guide, or watching our webinar.
Once you feel confident using the tool, you're ready to map your habitats! Below are quick links to each of the eight habitat mapping activities. These resources have been made for KS1+, but they are still useful for adults to help you identify each of your habitat types. Use the Habitat Mapper tool to add each habitat as an area or point to your site’s map – you only need to map the habitat categories that you have identified as being present in your checklist.
Ground without plantsGrass and wildflowersWater
Review and celebrate
Once you've added all of your habitats to your site’s map, you'll have a greater understanding of your starting point and the opportunities for improvement on your site. Having this baseline map will also enable you to measure the progress you've made as you make improvements to your site and start recording what wildlife you find there.
Now that you know what habitats are on your doorstep, why not encourage children to learn more about them with these related activities?