Habitat Protection Research

Protecting Ireland's hedgerows with satellite imagery

Sceach uses AI to detect illegal hedge cutting from space. What once required days of field investigation now happens in minutes.

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The Scale of the Problem

Ireland has over 689,000km of hedgerows—critical habitat for wildlife that's vanishing faster than we can document.

60%

of Irish birds are of serious conservation concern, dependent on hedgerow habitats

<10%

of hedgerow infringements are currently reported to authorities

2–3 days

required for traditional field investigation of a single case

The Technology

Satellite imagery meets machine learning

Sceach combines real-time satellite data with instance segmentation to transform hedgerow protection. Rangers scan any area on-demand and receive instant before-and-after comparisons.

The system automates what was previously manual and time-intensive. Evidence is generated instantly, reports filed automatically, and Ireland's hedgerows become visible in ways they never were before.

Key capabilities

  • Real-time satellite imagery analysis
  • Instance segmentation for precise boundary detection
  • Automated evidence collection and reporting
  • Before/after temporal comparison

On-demand scanning interface: select an area, compare satellite imagery across time periods

Automated monitoring: continuous scanning detects changes as they occur

Always Watching

Continuous monitoring

Beyond on-demand scans, the system works around the clock. Automated scanning detects violations as they happen, alerting rangers before damage spreads.

The hedgerows that shelter 60% of Ireland's birds of conservation concern are finally getting the protection they deserve—not through more manpower, but through smarter technology.

The Team

Built at Patch in six weeks

Sceach was created by Aditya, Tomás, and Rosheen as a research project exploring how satellite imagery and machine learning can support conservation efforts.

Approved by National Parks and Wildlife Services Ireland

Help protect Ireland's biodiversity

One hedgerow at a time

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