
Witney Tiny Forest (Oxfordshire), credit Earthwatch Europe
Tiny Forest Research
Tiny Forests as living laboratories
Using our Tiny Forests as a network of living laboratories, we are working with communities to monitor and understand the environmental benefits that Tiny Forests provide in urban areas, across different geographical areas and demographics.
At each Tiny Forest, the local community is encouraged to take part in tree planting, followed by the care and monitoring of the trees as they grow. We want to use each Tiny Forest as an opportunity to build social cohesion, re-connect people to nature, raise environmental awareness and empower positive action. We also want to understand the effects that Tiny Forests have on individuals' wellbeing and their connection with nature.
The results of our research will be used to inform policy, such as the Green Instructure Framework, and guide other agencies in how to use Miyawaki forests in urban areas to provide maximum benefits.
Photo: Hammersmith Park Tiny Forest (London), credit Earthwatch Europe
Citizen science
The information gathered on Tiny Forests is collected by citizen scientists - members of the public that volunteer to collect and/or analyse data on a scientific research topic. Without citizen scientists we could not collect the amount of data needed to answer Tiny Forest research questions at a national and international scale.
In an average year, citizen scientists have spent 5,200 hours collecting Tiny Forest data. This would take one scientist 650 days to collect!
There are also benefits for the citizen scientists, such as joining a community, improving scientific knowledge, nature connectedness and a chance to support nature restoration, even developing skills that benefit your CV!
If you’d like to become a citizen scientist, head to our ‘Get Involved’ page
Photo: Monkton Park Tiny Forest (Chippenham), credit Earthwatch Europe
Research topics
The Tiny Forest monitoring programme encourages citizen scientists to explore five key areas to understand the environmental and social impacts of the forest and how to drive positive action for the planet:

Biodiversity

Carbon storage

Thermal comfort

Flood management

Social benefits
Tiny Forest partnerships and research collaborations
We are collaborating with researchers and university students to develop research into these topics and many more using the Tiny Forest network as a living laboratory. Combined with the citizen science data we will be able to:
- Quantify and describe their benefits, i.e. how good Tiny Forests are for supporting our wellbeing and the environment.
- Build knowledge on the best practices to plant, support and engage with Tiny Forests.
- Raise awareness and support interaction with nature where we need it the most, in our cities.
Our existing research collaborations include projects with:
Derby University
Essex University
University of Leicester
University of Sheffield
University of Warwick
Our Tiny Forest Science team is also co-ordinating the Miyawaki Research Network (MiRN). This is a group of researchers and Miyawaki practitioners from seven different countries including the UK, France, Netherlands, USA, Canada, India and Australia. Partners are collaborating to understand the particular features of the Miyawaki approach compared to other tree planting methods. The network connects members, provides opportunities to share expertise and develops consistent methods for data collection and analysis.