September is the time to gather the final set of data about your forest – how much have the trees grown over the summer? Carbon Week is taking place from 21 until 29 September 2024, so make sure that you are ready to organise your own Citizen Science event! September is also filled with back-to-school excitement. Unfortunately, back-to-school for many pupils also means back to spending most of their days indoors. Luckily, Tiny Forests, our living science labs full of learning, are there to ensure the pupils stay in contact with nature all year around. 

All resources that you need to host your own Citizen Science event can be found on the Tiny Forest portal: protocol sheets that walk you through step-by-step how to collect vital data on your Tiny Forest as well as data sheets to record your findings on. Hosting a Citizen Science community event isn’t just about measuring trees – although that data can tell us a lot about the benefits of the Tiny Forest – it is about understanding why we measure them. This is a chance to talk about the worrying and complex topics of climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss and nature disconnection. You do not need to be an expert to facilitate a conversation around these topics – the most important part is to provide a space where every member of your community can share their thoughts, worries and feel listened to. Talk Climate Change, founded by Earth Science students from University of Oxford, provides many helpful tips on how to host your conversation. 

As pupils return after a long summer break, you might want to think about engaging your local schools with their Tiny Forest. Why not try contacting your local school and offering them an introduction to our Citizen Science activities, all of which have links to the curriculum. Why should students learn to take maths measurements in a classroom when they can do the same outdoors by measuring a tree’s height and diameter? Why learn photosynthesis from a Biology book when you can identify parts of an actual tree and functions they perform outside? Tiny Forest has an even wider learning programme to offer with special STEM challenges designed by our Education Team, so make sure you visit our online Education platform: Tiny Forest (earthwatch.org.uk).

Sign up to the Carbon Week and host your own Citizen Science event in your local Tiny Forest. Access our Tiny Forest Carbon Week Survey Training on YouTube to help you prepare and email us with any questions you might have. If you tried to make a hypothesis in April on how much Tiny Forest trees can grow in one season, now it’s the time to check and let us know your results!