More than just trees: how Tiny Forests are taking root in communities across the UK
6th April 2022
After the first two years of the Tiny Forest movement, environmental charity Earthwatch Europe has released exclusive data about the impact that Tiny Forests have had in every region of the UK.
Across the UK, alongside 83,105 trees planted, 7,713 people have joined events at their local Tiny Forest. This means that there have been 15,426 hours spent in nature across the UK with Tiny Forest. 145 Tiny Forests have been planted so far.
Spending time outside is critical for our mental and physical health. Just 20 minutes of nature experience has been shown to significantly lower stress hormones*, and research has demonstrated that people with high nature connectedness are 1.7 times more likely to report that their lives are worthwhile**. But with increasing urbanisation and a shift towards more digital living in our work and social lives, people have become less connected to nature than ever before.
Tiny Forest creates opportunities for people with potentially limited access to nature to come together with their community and create an accessible green space that people of all ages can enjoy for decades to come. By partnering with organisations in a wide range of sectors, Earthwatch is able to bring Tiny Forests to communities in every region of the UK.
Our corporate partners, BlackRock, Bloomberg, Fever-Tree, MINI UK, OVO Energy, Severn Trent and Vaillant, have been instrumental in bringing the benefits of Tiny Forests to urban communities. Between them they have funded 88 Tiny Forests, from Wee Forests in Glasgow as a legacy for COP26 to creating a Tiny Forest for mental health patients in Oxford. And more are in the pipeline. Alongside the planting days, they have hosted engagement opportunities for their employees, local schools and communities. These partnerships have taken Tiny Forest to another level, bringing real social impact to urban communities across the UK.
Research footnotes:
* Hunter, Gillespie and Chen, 2018
** Natural England, 2020