Tiny Forest Monitoring Report 2024
20th March 2025
In 2024, Earthwatch Europe ran 48 monitoring and engagement events, training 2,091 citizen scientists across the UK. This report shows how the UK’s Tiny Forest network is developing and delivering essential ecosystem service.
Key findings
Biodiversity
Tiny Forests consistently support a diverse composition of ground dweller and pollinator morphotypes, and provide homes to less commonly observed urban species such as newts, solitary bees and slow worms.
Flood mitigation
Infiltration rates inside Tiny Forests are on average 32% faster compared to the surrounding area; thanks, in part to the 38% lower soil compaction inside a Tiny Forest compared to outside.
Soil excavation depth
Trees in forests where soil was prepped to 1m are twice the height of those only prepped to 0.5m by the end of their 4th year of growth.
Carbon storage
Tiny Forests store exponentially more carbon as they age. Tiny Forests are sequestering 18,847 kg of above ground carbon, equating to 69.17 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent).
Thermal comfort
People feel more thermally comfortable in forests as they age. Tiny Forests have smaller temperature swings between day and night compared to outside of forests: during the day, air temperatures are up to 3°C cooler inside two-year-old forests, and 6°C cooler inside three-year-old forests, but at night temperatures are about 2°C warmer inside the forests.
Social benefits
Participating in Tiny Forest events significantly benefitted participants self-reported feelings of connection to nature
