Urban forests, a green solution to oxygenate large cities

Little ones forests the size of a tennis court to alleviate pollution in large cities and raise awareness about the importance of the environment. Under this premise, an NGO has created in urban areas of the United Kingdom small green lungs managed by the community in which the fauna and the flora They are protagonists.

Is about “Tiny Forests” (in English “Little Forests”), an innovative campaign promoted by the environmental organization Earthwatch Europe and with which more than 240 ‘mini forests’ have already been created throughout the country since it was launched in 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to their data, in total there are already more than 139,000 trees planted in various areas that add up to almost 47,900 m2 of the country and, as an anecdote, in which up to 21 different species of butterflies have been recorded.

“With more than 80% of the UK population living in urban areas, it has never been more important that we have more green spaces in our homes”explains Louise Hartley, program director of Earthwatch Europe, in one of these ‘mini forests’ in Barnet, on the outskirts of London.

Hartley adds that, with the limited space available in the urban areas of the London capital, tiny forests are the solution “perfect” to oxygenate big cities.

Forests the size of a tennis court

These miniature forests only need a plot of 200 square meters – approximately the size of a tennis court – so they can easily be planted in the increasingly scarce unused spaces of modern cities.

This method was developed in the 70s by the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki and uses very dense plantations with native species. Despite their small size, these forests are home to up to 600 trees of different native species, from oaks to birches, including various types of shrubs.

Its proximity to urban areas benefits both the population and the fauna: “We’re really trying to create a small, diverse forest ecosystem that creates a haven for wildlife and also an opportunity and a space for people to come and relax in nature. There is much evidence to show that trees and green spaces are very important for people’s health and well-being.Hartley adds.

But the project is not limited to providing spaces for rest and relaxation: the active participation of local people is a key pillar to help maintain the forests and carry out research on the height and width of trees, the level of elimination of the carbon footprint, biodiversity and health of the atmosphere within the forest.

“There are many aspects that people can participate in, something that also opens families to the field of science. “Everyone can be part of what we do here,” explains Paul Salman, volunteer ranger.

An initiative not only for adults, since children participate and receive “scientific and nature knowledge, as the community is encouraged to revisit the forest and watch it grow over the years”it states.

Connecting people with nature and wildlife through science is one of the main objectives of the project, explains Hartley, who aims for these ‘citizen-scientists’ They are crucial for collecting data and monitoring forest progress.

One of these volunteers is Daniel Mermelstein, from London, who explains how the project offers a “great meeting point” to “touch” nature, witness and record the impact of global warming and human activity on nature.

“It allows us to understand how forests work. “You can have a hands-on experience of how nature works and, in particular, see how things like carbon capture work,” Add.

Apart from capturing the carbon footprint, some of the other environmental benefits of “Tiny Forests” are improving biodiversity – be it soil, plant life and fauna – assisting the pollination process, becoming home and food for birds and even manage flooding, Hartley concludes.

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