Volunteers plant tiny forest in London

On February 23, the planting of a new tiny forest in the district of Ealing became the first volunteer event in London for the Tiny Forest project.

Facilitated through conservation charity Earthwatch, the Tiny Forest program has planted more than 200 urban forests in the United Kingdom since 2020. According to Earthwatch, 84% of the population in the United Kingdom lives in an urban area. Access to natural green spaces and biodiversity is becoming increasingly limited. With grants like Microsoft’s, Earthwatch holds volunteer planting parties in urban areas to establish tiny forests, giving residents a chance to be closer to nature.

Tiny forests are roughly the size of a tennis court and feature 600 trees. As they grow, they attract more than 500 varieties of plants and animals in the first few years, providing valuable support to local ecosystems. Designed to support urban areas, tiny forests also help regulate temperatures heightened by pavement and buildings. Their small size allows for these nature pockets to grow quickly, providing benefits and trackable environmental data within a few years of planting. Microsoft is helping Earthwatch reach their goal of 500 planted forests by 2030.