We celebrated the official opening of Crewe’s first Tiny Forest in May 2022 with a science day attended by local school children.
The small woodland, which we created with Earthwatch Europe was opened by Kieran Mullan, the MP for Crewe and Nantwich, and Cllr Tom Dunlop, the Mayor of Crewe. The densely packed plot of about 600 trees and shrubs is the first to be created by a housing association.
Take a look below for photos of the day.
What is a Tiny Forest?
A Tiny Forest is densely packed plot of about 600 trees and shrubs no larger than a tennis court. We’ll be the first housing association in the country to create one on their land.
Environmental charity Earthwatch is running the scheme and the planting of the entire forest is expected to be completed in March 2022.
The Tiny Forest is based on a technique developed in the 1970s by Japanese botanists before being adopted in the UK. As it will be so densely populated with trees, this will limit its own growth, and it will be a haven for urban wildlife.
It will help local people connect with nature, act as an outdoor classroom for young people learning about the natural world, and bring the community together. It is part of our commitment to creating greener communities.
Once planted, people will be able to volunteer to become tree keepers to either care for the forest or be citizen scientists who will help monitor it and collect data on how it’s benefitting the local environment.
The Tiny Forest will be protected for 10 years but the land still belongs to Guinness. Earthwatch is licenced to carry out the planting, development, and scientific monitoring of the site.
How can I get involved?
Earthwatch Europe are looking for volunteers to become tree keepers to either care for the forest or be citizen scientists who will help monitor it and collect data on how it’s benefitting the local environment.
If you’d like to become a Tree Keeper in Crewe, email: tinyforest@earthwatch.co.uk
Launch day and Science day
The Tiny Forest taking shape at the start of 2022
