Last Haven

Imagine a green space that is the last habitat for an endangered species, like tigers. What if the government plans to repurpose this space for farmland that brings in a lot of money? How would you feel if the space were instead used to build a hospital or a mental health unit? What if the endangered species were less charismatic than tigers, like snakes or plants? Or imagine reversing the situation: converting a hospital into a habitat for endangered species.

This game guides you through making these difficult choices. Join us and explore what you prioritise when it comes to humans versus non-human species!

Explore Last Haven.

Read our letter published in The Guardian

Your article highlighting that more than 5,000 English nature sites may be at risk from planning reforms brings into focus the ethical and emotional challenges involved in decisions about land use (Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals, 3 June). Our new citizen science project, Last Haven, hosted at the University of Oxford, explores precisely these tensions. What happens when the last known habitat for an endangered species stands in the way of vital human development? We present participants with simplified, hypothetical scenarios, such as a hospital being dismantled to make space for a rare plant sanctuary, or an agricultural initiative threatening the last refuge of a wild species, to examine how people reason through competing priorities.

Our work suggests the value of nature as an important factor in human flourishing and mental health. Yet access to housing and infrastructure is also vital for wellbeing and security. These thought-provoking cases help uncover the values and beliefs that guide people when faced with choices between ecological preservation and human needs.

Our wider hypothesis is that human flourishing and the wellbeing of the non-human world are fundamentally connected. Understanding how people perceive this relationship can help inform more ethically grounded decisions. As the UK considers the future of its planning frameworks, we hope that those making these important decisions, and indeed all of us, will reflect on the values at stake.