Alderney is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. The island covers an area of 3 square miles, making it the third largest of the Channel Islands and the second largest in the Bailiwick. Alderney served as a major fortress during World War II.

The island contains at least 36 distinct habitats, ranging from woodland to wetland; scrubland, grassland, and heathland; sandy beaches and dunes to rocky shores; and shingle banks to rocky sea beds. This diversity supports a wide range of resident species. Alderney’s geographical position also makes it an important migration stopover for birds and insects along the East Atlantic Flyway. The island is home to over 900 plant species, including endemic plants and one of the richest displays of wildflowers in the British Isles.

Alderney’s rich and complex human history has made its biotic and biocultural histories equally intricate and not fully understood—particularly concerning the age of its ecosystems and the timing of certain floral arrivals on the island. This project aims to address these knowledge gaps by working with the Alderney Wildlife Trust to identify existing vegetation and wetland communities that represent ancient landscape features, which are priorities for conservation and potential restoration.