People planting trees
Barnet Council has teamed up with environmental charity Earthwatch Europe and Good Gym Barnet to plant a Tiny Forest in a green space at Henlys Corner just on the side of the North Circular, supported by a local foundation and MINI Electric.
A Tiny Forest is a dense, fast growing native woodland planted in an area the size of a tennis court around 200sqm. They are planted with the aim to create a small pocket of quality green space for benefit of people and wildlife.
They bring the benefits of a forest such as tree cover for wildlife, increasing biodiversity, capturing carbon and reducing flooding but in an urban-friendly size.
Yesterday (24 Feb) School groups and volunteers were there to help plant 600 trees of 15 different native species including oaks, cherries, and willows.
Chair of Barnet Council’s Environment Committee, Cllr Dean Cohen, said:
“We welcome the Tiny Forest project in Barnet as a fantastic way for the local community to come together and enjoy the benefits of our green spaces.
“It is a great way to get out into nature and as well as being an attractive and interesting feature it has the added benefits for wildlife, the environment and the air we breathe.
“Projects like these not only improve air quality in Barnet but will help in achieving the commitments made in our forthcoming Sustainability Strategy.”
The planting method was developed by a Japanese botanist, Dr Akira Miyawaki, in the 70s and encourages accelerated forest development.
With a diverse range of plant species, it attracts an equally diverse range of wildlife that also gives people a unique access to nature within urban areas.
Louise Hartley, from Earthwatch the charity that runs Tiny Forest projects all over the country, said:
This Tiny Forest will help people of all ages connect with nature, act as an outdoor classroom for young people learning about the natural world, and bring the community together. It will help create a stepping stone for wildlife that find urban areas often difficult to move through, supporting biodiversity .
“The fact that this is publicly accessible and on public land is fantastic for people to get out into green spaces that we know has proven benefits for mental health.
“It is also very beneficial for children living in urban areas as we often find this is their first experience planting trees and so it’s a nice way to connect with nature and the natural world.”
David George, Director, MINI UK & Ireland said “Creative use of space is at the heart of MINI, so the partnership between MINI Electric and Earthwatch Europe to plant Tiny Forests is a perfect fit. We’re really excited about how Tiny Forests can bring communities together and help educate on the important role biodiversity plays in sustainability.”
Notes to Editors
About Earthwatch Europe
Earthwatch Europe is an environmental charity with science at its heart. We drive the change needed to live within our means and in balance with nature. We do this by:
● Connecting people with the natural world
● Monitoring the health of our natural resources
● Informing the actions that will have the greatest positive impact
Earthwatch is pioneering Tiny Forest in the UK, and is working with partners - including businesses, local authorities, schools and communities - to plant, maintain and monitor their Tiny Forest.
About MINI
Making MINI production more sustainable is vital to the BMW Group’s strategy to further reduce emissions. To achieve real change, the BMW Group has set substantial targets based on comprehensive emission values. The Environmental Roadmap from 2021-2030 means we plan to reduce CO2 emissions by -40% by 2025 and -80% by 2030.
MINI is pursuing the strategic sustainability goals of the BMW Group by consistently reducing CO2 emissions over the entire production lifesycle. This encompasses the supply chain and the exclusive use of renewable electricity in production. A steadily increasing proportion of natural and recyclable materials used in the vehicles will further support these goals.
MINI will launch its last model with internal combustion engine in 2025 and, by 2027, the share of all-electric vehicles in global MINI sales will be at least 50 percent. In the early 2030s, MINI will be the first BMW Group brand to go fully electric.