Transform a village playground with “Tytherington’s Tiny Forest” for nature recovery and education

The landowner, Hanson UK, has asked Earthwatch to work with them to assess two sites on Jubilee Field and Coronation Gardens in the heart of the village for their suitability for hosting a Tiny Forest. The mature ash trees on the site are diseased and need felling for safety reason and the landowner is looking for a community lead project that will enhance biodiversity, assist nature recovery and mitigate for the loss of the ash trees.

This project has been divided into two phases; Phase 1 consultation, feasibility, site selection and validation and baseline environmental survey. If successful Phase 2 would involve planting and the ongoing monitoring of the Tiny Forest using citizen science.

Earthwatch is an environmental charity with citizen science at its heart. We propose to plant a Tiny Forest, some 200m2 of densely planted native trees that replicate the natural establishment of a forest. The programme is designed to involve the community at all stages in the delivery of their Tiny Forest. This will start with information giving and consultation with the local community around site choice and planting methodology. The community, backed by Earthwatch will undertake the site assessment, community consultation, planning, designing and subsequently implementing the project, with site work, tree planting and follow-on monitoring to occur in the 2022-23 planting season and beyond.