Superb Session App-Testing with Royal Parks Volunteers in Kensington Gardens

Back in July we had the privilege of spending a glorious three-hour session with some of the brilliant staff and volunteers of The Royal Parks. Our base was the parkland around Queen Caroline’s Temple in Kensington Gardens – a more inspiring setting for testing our Natural Neighbours app would be hard to imagine.

We kicked things off with a brief introduction to the “why” behind the app: we believe that by connecting people with the nature on their doorstep, we can foster a city-wide network of micro-habitats that allows wildlife to thrive. Our app is designed to be the tool that makes this happen – guiding users to identify, map, and create these vital spaces.

The discussion that followed was fantastic, filled with insightful questions and suggestions that showed a deep understanding of the ecological challenges and opportunities in our urban green spaces. Then, it was time for the main event. Armed with the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) version of the app on their phones, the volunteers headed out into the surrounding park to map deadwood and ephemeral ponds – two micro-habitat types Royal Parks staff are keen to record locations and quality data for.

Dead and decaying wood is a vital resource for countless insects, fungi, and even nesting birds, while temporary ponds provide a unique homes and breeding grounds for wildlife including specially adapted plants, amphibians and invertebrates. Watching the volunteers use the app to document these features was a genuinely thrilling “proof of concept” moment for us.

The feedback session was, without a doubt, the most valuable part of the day. The volunteers were absolutely amazing – so generous with their time and energy. They gave us superbly frank, clear, and helpful feedback, uncovering a few technical bugs with the kind of precision that only real-world users can provide. We’re incredibly grateful for this “stress-testing,” as it’s exactly what we need to make the app more robust.

But what truly energised us was that, despite the glitches, the overwhelming feeling was one of excitement and fun. The positive feedback and the sheer good-time energy in the group were incredible. It confirmed that we’re on the right track – creating something that is not only useful for nature but also enjoyable for people to use.

A massive thank you to every single volunteer and staff member from The Royal Parks who participated. Onwards!