In the face of ever-increasing climate change and the growing impact of human activity on the environment, scientists have for years focused their efforts on understanding and studying this phenomenon. Recently, thanks to an international collaboration of scientists from Poland, the United States, Israel and Germany, significant progress has been made in this field. The first global map of human habitation near natural areas such as forests and shrublands has been created. This innovative form of imaging is a major step forward and a key tool that will facilitate analysis of humanity’s impact on the environment and help forecast future challenges, such as wildfires. With this map, scientists now have a tool in their arsenal that offers not only valuable data, but also opens up new perspectives on the study of human-wildlife interactions.