With their fresh buds and delicate flowers, European Tiny Forests’ trees are starting to feel alive again. If you haven’t already, now it’s a good time to conduct a Carbon Survey ahead of the growing season. The days are getting warmer and longer and we start to really appreciate our great outdoors again. Earth Day takes place on the 22nd of April each year, so feel encouraged to channel this appreciation into action for the planet. 

Did you know April is National Frog Month? By April, thousands of frogs and toads will leave their over-wintering sites to migrate towards ponds to breed before spending the rest of the year in forests, gardens, and grasslands. If you have started a pond in October, now it’s a good time to prepare it for the summer but be careful not to disturb frogspawn. In older ponds, you might want to prune water plants and in the younger ones, introduce native water plants. April is also the month of Citizen Science. Monitoring our natural resources is a hugely important action for nature. By observing our natural environment, we can understand its unique processes and notice any changes that might be occurring due to climate change and other environmental challenges. Observing and recording nature will inform our actions and help us find the best solutions. This April, conduct a survey in your Tiny Forest and be part of One Million Acts of Science during Citizen Science Month!

Gather your community in the Tiny Forest and take action as part of Earth Day on April 22nd. Raise awareness about how many of our everyday activities threaten our planet and thus our own livelihoods. Use the Tiny Forest project as an example to discuss alternative ways of being and existing nature-based solutions. Any action will be strengthened by creativity which can also be a fantastic community building and mindful activity. Collect some recycled cardboard, bring paint and get everyone involved in making signs, showing the true power of community and collaborative action. Remember to send us photos!

April is the last chance to conduct a Carbon Survey before the growth spurt of spring and summer. Watch our Tiny Forest Carbon Storage Survey Guide, then use your phone to scan the QR code on your Tiny Forest plaque or download and print Carbon Storage monitoring resources from our website. Can you make a hypothesis (a scientific “guess”) of how much different species can grow in one season?