Luckily for most of us in the UK, we can now get fresh produce all year around. There are, however, environmental costs to eating out-of-season fruit and vegetables, and there are, of course, creatures that cannot simply pop to their local supermarket. It is also International Women’s Day this month. The science engagement opportunities our Tiny Forests offer can provide a great leverage to encourage more women, especially those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, to enter the still-male-dominated world of science. 

Hedgehogs are amongst the creatures you will not find frequenting your local supermarket. Although it is good to offer food and water to them all year around, they will appreciate extra snacks as they wake up from their hibernation and again in the run-up to it (we will remind you in October). The British Hedgehog Preservation Society shows you how to build a fancy Hedgehog Diner, while Woodland Trust reveals how to create a nutritious menu for our spiky friends. Being mostly insects’ eaters, hedgehogs would love what’s crawling underneath your Tiny Forest’s biodiversity tiles, so make sure you check what’s à la carte and conduct a ground dweller survey.  

On International Women’s Day, feel inspired to contribute to decreasing inequality gaps through increasing engagement in your Tiny Forest. STEM disciplines, including environmental science, suffer from underrepresentation of women, certain ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Because of being an accessible living-science lab, Tiny Forests provide a chance to help anyone build up their science skills. They can be showcased as a project in applications for universities, grants and jobs. Reach out and speak to underrepresented community groups in your area to see if they would like to engage in your Tiny Forest activities.

Watch our short video on how to conduct a Ground Dweller Survey. To access the survey, use your phone to scan the QR code on your Tiny Forest plaque or download and print Ground Dweller monitoring resources from our website. If you notice any broken or missing tiles, message us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..