Wakehurst Ecosystem Observatory
An in-situ research facility at Wakehurst, connecting landscapes, science and visitors to explore the value of nature for people, agriculture and the environment.
 BE.jpg.webp?itok=clSseuMv "Nature Unlocked carbon research, Jim Holden © RBG Kew")
About Wakehurst ecosystem observatory
Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, is home to the 211-hectare Living Laboratory - a unique landscape for long-term environmental science. At its core is the Wakehurst Ecosystem Observatory (WEO), which brings together the rich habitats, land management practices and histories of southern England.
As a researcher, WEO gives you the opportunity to work with a living system under continuous study. By monitoring how ecosystems function and change, the Observatory generates evidence vital for addressing the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. This long-term record can directly support land-use decisions and the development of Nature-based Solutions.
To get a sense of the Wakehurst landscape and science being delivered, check out our video on the Wakehurst Ecosystem Observatory, which is generously funded by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
WEO currently comprises twenty-three 0.25-hectare plots across eight habitats. These are equipped with continuous monitoring - from micro-meteorology and soil moisture to CO₂ flux and vegetation structure - creating a unique time series openly available for research. The site also serves as a test bed for innovative methods and technologies that can be benchmarked against these long-term datasets.
Collaboration is at the heart of WEO. Whether you are based at a university, NGO or government body, the platform is open for you to co-develop projects that generate high-impact, policy-relevant evidence.
Together with the Millennium Seed Bank and the Lansdowne Research and Conservation Nursery, WEO positions Wakehurst as the UK’s hub for conservation science. By getting involved, you’ll join a community working to close critical data gaps, measure ecosystem function in unprecedented detail, and advance the next generation of environmental monitoring.
Our landscapes
The Wakehurst Ecosystem Observatory spans a remarkable diversity of habitats, reflecting centuries of land use and management. Key landscapes under study include:
- Ancient broadleaf woodland
- Managed hazel coppice woodland
- Conifer plantation
- Alder carr (wet woodland)
- Woodland affected by ash dieback
- Unimproved grassland
- Historic deer park
- Highly managed formal gardens
Together, these varied habitats provide scientists with a living laboratory to explore how ecosystems function, respond to change, and deliver vital services for people and nature.
Our facilities
The Wakehurst Ecosystem Observatory offers researchers access to a wide range of study environments and datasets, including:
- Eight distinct habitats, from broadleaf woodland and hazel coppice to wet woodlands, meadows and conifer plantations
- Twenty-three 0.5-hectare research plots, plus two experimental bee banks
- Continuous environmental monitoring data
Full details on how to access these facilities are available in the Wakehurst Ecosystem Observatory Researchers’ Handbook.
Previous projects
During its pilot phase (2021–2024), the Nature Unlocked programme delivered more than 20 research projects across carbon, biodiversity, pollination, wellbeing and seed viability. A few examples include:
Measuring woodland carbon more accurately
Terrestrial LiDAR scanning at Wakehurst revealed that traditional methods can underestimate above-ground biomass in woodlands. This provides more precise carbon data to inform climate and forestry policy.
Discovering hidden biodiversity below ground
Using innovative techniques to study mycorrhizal fungi, researchers found unexpectedly high levels of diversity in Wakehurst’s meadows and woodlands — including species new to science.
Understanding nature’s benefits for people
Wellbeing studies showed that different biodiverse habitats support people in different ways: children responded especially positively to time spent in meadows, while men reported the strongest benefits from nature connection overall.
Together, these projects show how Wakehurst’s unique mix of landscapes and living collections make it an ideal site for cutting-edge environmental science.
Frequently asked questions
We welcome proposals from a broad range of disciplines including ecology, sociology, metrology to name a few. Please read the Wakehurst Ecosystem Observatory Researchers’ Handbook to learn more.
All proposals will be reviewed by the Nature Unlocked team and in some cases the Horticultural team. Will aim to get back to you as soon as possible.
There is currently no fee to use WEO. We encourage you to consider co-developing your research with the Nature Unlocked team to ensure your project is feasible at Wakehurst.