From little acorns …

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit

Nelson Henderson

Last week, under an initiative by my local town council, many residents planted saplings to create a ‘Tiny Forest’. A concept of which, until this planting, I admit I knew nothing.

Unlike me, most people may already know that a Tiny Forest is exactly what it says on the tin. A small area of land in which trees are densely packed. Typically, up to six hundred trees in an area no bigger than the size of a Tennis Court.

We all know that trees bring many benefits to the environment. They store carbon, soak up water that may reduce local flooding, and attract all sorts of wildlife. Using such a small land area makes Tiny Forests ideal for urban settings. They also help community engagement as local people take part in planting and caring for the Forests. The correct choice of trees is essential to ensure a balanced long-lasting Forest. In the case of ‘our’ Tiny Forest, there are more than twenty ‘native’ species including oak, wild service, birch, alder, hazel, blackthorn, rowan, and lime.

While I may have been unaware of the idea, the concept is not new. It’s based on a forest management method developed in the 1970s by Dr Akira Miyawaki. Taking this concept, in 2010 Shubhendu Sharma planted a Tiny Forest of over two hundred trees and shrubs in his back garden. The garden was around a quarter of the size of a Tennis Court. The Tiny Forest was a remarkable success and of the many varieties planted, eighteen were fruit-bearing. One of them, guava, was so abundant that Shubhendu harvested 5kg of fruit a day. In addition, the Tiny Forest attracted some seventeen species of birds to an area where there had been just two.

Since Shubhendu’s first Tiny Forest, they have appeared worldwide, with the first in the UK ‘springing up’ a couple of years ago in Witney in Oxfordshire.

While there are many benefits, there can be drawbacks. The cost is one of them, and I’ve seen figures as high as £18,000 reported. I don’t know what my Town Council has spent. Still, I note there’s an Environmental charity and a local employer involved in the initiative. Another concern is that using natural meadow to plant a Tiny Forest may threaten existing wildlife.

Despite some misgivings, it’s clear there is an ever-increasing growth (pardon the pun) in such Forests. This is a good reflection of the care and concern an increasing number of people have for the environment.

I certainly offer my local council a thumbs up for the initiative. The Forest is no more than a few minutes' walk from my home on the route I take to several of my regular destinations in town. I may not be around to see the fledgling Tiny Forest develop to its full majesty, but I look forward over the coming years to watching it grow.