New Tiny Forests in Finchley provide a living laboratory for soil health and tree growth
27th March 2025
On Wednesday 26 March, in partnership with Barnet Council and local tech firm Pure Data Centres, we brought together hundreds of volunteers, including local schoolchildren, to plant 1,800 trees – creating three new Tiny Forests in Finchley, London Borough of Barnet.
The three plots, each housing around 600 trees in an area the size of a tennis court, will provide nature-rich spaces which connect to an existing Tiny Forest and urban wildflower meadow. They will provide a dense oasis for nature, with each Tiny forest capable of attracting over 500 animal and plant species within the first three years. A natural pathway will lead visitors through the new Tiny Forests to the outdoor classroom/seating area located by the original Tiny Forest and wildflower meadow.
The Tiny Forests are part of our Nature in Cities programme which aims to create greener, healthier cities and improve access to nature-rich spaces in urban areas.
Barnet’s three new forests were planted over the course of one day thanks to volunteers – including children from Brookland Infant and Nursery School, Kerem Primary School, Moss Hall Nursery, Brooklands Junior School and Henrietta Barnett School.
Also in attendance was the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Tony Vourou, Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet member for Environment and Climate Change, Barnet Council, and Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure Data Centres.
The new Tiny Forests will also serve as a living laboratory for local citizen scientists, coordinated by Earthwatch, to collect data and investigate techniques to promote faster tree growth. Each plot will use a slightly different planting system to improve understanding of soil condition, carbon sequestrations and drainage.
The scheme has been funded by Pure Data Centres and its subsidiary A Healthier Earth, which develops and delivers climate projects. The saplings planted in the Tiny Forests have been provided by A Healthier Earth, which were grown at its ForestFactory® in partnership with Blenheim Palace.
Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Barnet Council, said:
“By creating these Tiny Forests, we are not only enhancing local biodiversity but also providing valuable green spaces for our residents to enjoy. I am incredibly proud of the dedication shown by our volunteers and partners in making Barnet greener and more sustainable. No chemicals or fertilisers were used in planting and Biochar, a modified charcoal that improves soil quality, and trees came from A Healthier Earth’s Forest Factory project. The forests can create rich biodiversity and each forest is able to attract over 500 animal and plant species within the first three years.”
Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure DC, said:
“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Pure DC. Through A Healthier Earth, we are pioneering innovative solutions to environmental challenges, and funding projects like the Tiny Forests is a natural extension of that work. These Tiny Forests will provide measurable ecological benefits, improving air quality, supporting urban biodiversity and creating greener, healthier spaces for our communities. We are proud to be part of this transformative project and look forward to seeing its positive impact.”
Hannah Davidson, Senior Programme Manager at Earthwatch Europe, said:
“The planting of these new Tiny Forests provides an exciting opportunity to explore a variety of elements that can influence the health and growth of the trees. We look forward to monitoring these forests together with citizen scientists and sharing our findings. The three new Tiny Forests will add to the growing number of Nature in Cities solutions in north London, helping to create greener, healthier cities and improve access to nature rich spaces for local communities.”
