From tiny acorns to mighty oaks: inspiring stories of community action for the UK's urban forest

oaks From tiny acorns inspiring stories of community action for the UK’s urban forest tomighty Across the UK, communities are coming together to care for, protect and expand our urban forests. This booklet celebrates those efforts, sharing hopeful stories of grassroots action, practical models that might be replicated and useful links to help you get involved or start your own initiative. Whether you’re a tree enthusiast, a community organiser or simply someone who enjoys green spaces, this booklet is for you. It’s designed to inspire and inform anyone curious about how urban trees can bring people together, improve our neighbourhoods and help nature in our towns and cities to thrive. oaks From “tiny acorns to mighty ” ...is more than just a saying: it’s a powerful reminder that seemingly small actions can become transformative. 32 This booklet brings together eight stories from across the UK to show what’s possible. You’ll find examples of successful projects, models to learn from, and links to organisations that can support you. We hope that whatever part of the journey you’re on, these stories will get you thinking about taking action where you live and perhaps inspire you to grow your own mighty oaks. NHS Forest 26 The Orchard Project 30 Tiny Forests 34 National networks Birmingham TreePeople 6 Fruit and Nut Village 10 More Trees BANES 14 Street Trees for Living 18 Urban Forest 22 Place-based initiatives Urban trees not only look beautiful: they clean the air we breathe, help manage rainwater, moderate temperature and humidity and support a wide range of animals, plants and fungi. They offer food, shelter and safe pathways for wildlife to move and thrive. Indeed, research shows that having more tree cover – especially trees which are above two metres – makes a big difference in supporting urban biodiversity. Trees matter a great deal to people. They help to shade streets, filter pollutants, reduce noise and even improve mental health. Trees can bring neighbours together, offer places to play and relax and make communities feel more connected to nature and each other. Many people feel passionately about trees in their local area, especially mature trees which form a quiet, steady backdrop to people’s lives over long periods of time. Unfortunately, not all areas have equal access to the joys and benefits of trees. Some parts of the UK have very few trees and areas that have the highest levels of deprivation are often those with the lowest tree canopy cover. This imbalance is both unfair and a missed opportunity. Trees can help communities adapt to climate change, improve health and support wildlife, but only if they’re planted and cared for in the right places. That’s why there’s a growing movement to increase tree cover in urban areas, especially in the neighbourhoods and communities where it’s needed most. National and local governments are setting targets and funding projects to support tree planting and care. The transformative power of community action Across the UK, there is a long history of local people taking care of trees and green spaces through voluntary community action. Today, with greater awareness of the biodiversity and climate crises, more and more people are joining in – from planting street trees and creating community orchards to protecting existing trees and campaigning for better green space policies, communities are making a real difference. Some are working with councils and charities, while others are acting independently. Each of these individual efforts may be small, but together they’re helping to grow greener, fairer towns and cities. Quick guide to what’s inside Why are urban trees important? 54 Birmingham TreePeople Birmingham. Plant and establish new trees in the city, advocate for all trees across Birmingham and work directly with communities for greater access to trees and the benefits they bring. Birmingham TreePeople grew out of the Tree Warden Network, set up by Tree Officers at Birmingham City Council in 2016. As the number of volunteers increased, they gradually established a small independent charity, now called Birmingham TreePeople. The first formal meeting of the Board of Trustees was in 2020. From its origins, Birmingham TreePeople has always been passionate about caring for trees directly with communities, ensuring that the benefits of trees are shared. 76 Location Vision Tiny acorn Powered by volunteers for the first four years, the organisation won a large grant from the National Lottery in 2024, which enabled it to begin employing paid staff, including a Community Lead. Gradually, Birmingham TreePeople has grown into a leading education, protection, and planting organisation that supplements the work of the city’s Tree Officers, whose focus is auditing, felling, and maintenance. Putting down roots Birmingham TreePeople is now recognised across the city as a key organisation supporting urban trees to flourish. Staying true to its organisational roots, Birmingham TreePeople continues to have a large team of Urban Forest Volunteers who look after newly planted and well-established trees on streets and in parks. The organisation regularly runs an accredited Arboriculture Level 2 course and other free quarterly training sessions, supporting the knowledge and practice of volunteers. With the qualification, volunteers can become ‘specialists’ within the project, contributing to more technical aspects of tree planting and maintenance, and sometimes even benefitting from paid opportunities to deliver training or skill-sharing workshops. Birmingham TreePeople also offers a range of activities for community members, from tree care (planting, pruning, mulching, and tending to tree nurseries) to cultural events and tree appreciation (tree identification walks, arts and crafts, poetry readings, tree trails, street tree surveying and an annual tree festival). The project uses TreePlotter to gather and share information about trees across the city to understand the benefits of the urban forest. They additionally run citizen science projects, including monitoring the success of newly planted street trees. This helps make better evidence-based decisions about which trees are planted where and can be used in conversations with local people during the co-design of tree planting and management plans. Mighty oak We collect data about tree climate resilience, aesthetics, and existing diversity and distribution of trees in the city and bring that information to communities to help them be meaningfully involved in choosing the right trees for their neighbourhoods.” I think it’s important to acknowledge the work that’s already going on in areas. Like I said, there are always connections between people and trees. And I think sometimes councils don’t acknowledge that and think that people don’t care about trees.” “ “ Since 2024, under the direction of their Community Lead, Birmingham TreePeople has been pioneering a relatively new approach which brings community organising, arts-based practices and urban tree care together to increase access to trees and the benefits they bring. There are three interconnected areas of work: Holistic community engagement The project employs a Community Lead, who uses a community organising and arts-based approach to connect people, listen to their perspectives, map existing community assets, amplify local solutions and rally communities together to make change happen. Valuing diverse connections to and care of trees The Community Lead takes time to understand how different community members already show care for and feel a sense of connection with urban trees. Care comes in many forms: from practical tasks like watering, planting and weeding, to more emotional and intangible forms of care, such as noticing and appreciating trees. People are also connected to trees through implicit cultural values, stories and folk tales, creative arts and spiritual practices. Birmingham TreePeople has found that taking this holistic approach – which appreciates and builds on the multifaceted relationships between people and nature – helps to instil trust in the project and encourages notions of stewardship towards urban trees. Inclusive decision making Traditionally, decisions about urban tree planting have been determined by ecological and environmental data and informed by the availability of council funding and other resources. Birmingham TreePeople’s approach, by contrast, includes community members in the design and decision-making processes. The team collects data about trees in different parts of the city – recording tree diversity, distribution, climate resilience, air quality, cultural and social values, and aesthetics. They then present this data to communities in an accessible format and encourage meaningful involvement in choosing and managing the right trees for each neighbourhood. Together, these approaches ensure that Birmingham TreePeople generate a deep understanding of local perspectives, values, and priorities, and treat these as equally significant sources of information for evidence-based decision-making. A model we can learn from Find out more about Birmingham TreePeople Website: birminghamtreepeople.org.uk Instagram: instagram.com/birminghamtreepeople Facebook: facebook.com/Birmingham-Tree-People Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/birminghamtreepeople Youtube: youtube.com/@birminghamtreepeople7284 You can learn more about the Birmingham TreePeople community engagement model by reading this case study and the Nature Towns and Cities Nature Makers spotlight. Inclusive decision making Holistic community engagement Valuing diverse connections to and care of trees 98 Fruit & Nut Village Birmingham – Balsall Heath, Druids Heath and Stirchley and other Birmingham neighbourhoods on an ad-hoc basis. Nurturing communities who grow and are surrounded by abundant, perennial food. Fruit & Nut Village was started in 2017 by ‘Friends of’ groups and other local enthusiasts. It began with an idea to cultivate edible treescapes in urban areas, enabling communities to grow small food forests and enjoy locally produced food. In turn, this would bring benefits for people’s health, wellbeing, sense of place and community, air quality, shady green spaces, friendship, biodiversity, and diet. At first, the group were looking after around 30 trees, but soon the initiative was recognised as meeting local community needs and from there it quickly grew. Location Vision Tiny acorn With the help of National Lottery funding, Fruit & Nut Village was fully established in 2018 and from 2019 onwards, the project started planting larger numbers of trees. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Fruit & Nut Village recognised the need for more connection and community support. In some places, they started running regular sessions. They also used this time to formalise their organisational structures, officially establishing as a CIO, so that by the time lockdown lifted they could spring back into action. Putting down roots Now fully embedded in Birmingham’s neighbourhoods, Fruit & Nut Village brings people together to plant and care for forest gardens, orchards and other edible landscapes within public green spaces that are accessible to different communities. They focus on cultivating trees and other plants which supply edible food year on year. Fruit & Nut Village runs regular activities at over 80 sites in Birmingham. These include workshops on orchard care and plant propagation; weekly forest garden care sessions; and regular community events, like tree planting days. Anyone can get involved in the cultivation of these delicious foodscapes and enjoy the yummy crops! As a community-focused project, Fruit & Nut Village do three main things: 1) Raise awareness about urban trees 2) Create community and friendship 3) Produce an edible landscape of free-to-harvest food Together, these actions enhance local biodiversity, increase shade, make parks and neighbourhoods more pretty, and involve local people in decisions about the green places where they live, work and play. Mighty oak 1110 It’s not that unrealistic to imagine we might have a million apples coming off our fruit trees in a few years’ time. If you could collect all of those, that’d be a resource worth having. So, in five years, it would be great to harness the value of this a bit more and get the fruit to people who need it through working with other food redistribution organisations.” “ Fruit & Nut Village’s unique model is their focus on growing edible trees and plants in urban places with nearby communities. Three crucial elements of their forest garden model are described below: Growing forest gardens for long-term food production Fruit & Nut Village’s edible landscapes are planted in such a way that, once established, the plants will continue to produce food for a long time without the need for further planting. These forest gardens are made up of different layers, which include fruit and nut trees, fruit bushes, perennial vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, ground cover plants, and vines. The illustration below depicts the layers that this project seeks to cultivate in their edible landscapes. Building partnerships with land managers and landowners Since Fruit & Nut Village does not own the land it cultivates, its success depends on strong partnerships with land management organisations. The most important partners are often local authorities, as they can broker access to public spaces which are more visible and accessible to the whole community, meaning more people are able to benefit from and get involved in the project. Fruit & Nut Village also work with smaller land managers and owners, like places of worship and community centres. These collaborations support community cohesion and nurture a strong sense of place. Working with communities to care for the forest gardens Regular care and maintenance of forest gardens is important. Tasks like pruning, selective weeding, watering, keeping access paths tidy, digging out compost, moving woodchip, and of course harvesting all play a part, and their nature and intensity vary throughout the seasons. To do this work, Fruit & Nut Village works with members of the local community, offers relevant training and involves them in decisions about the green places where they live, work, and play. In the future, Fruit & Nut Village would like to run harvest days with volunteers and offer surplus to local food distribution charities, sharing the bounty of delicious food these edible landscapes produce. Website: fruitandnutvillage.org.uk/aboutus Instagram: instagram.com/fruitnutvillage Facebook: facebook.com/fruitnutvillage X: twitter.com/fruitnutvillage YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCshfH_i4I7rpHafPONFCGjQ A model we can learn from Find out more about Fruit & Nut Village Forest Garden Diagram by Graham Burnet (Image via Wikimedia Commons licensed under GNU Free Documentation License) 1312 More Trees BANES Bath and North-East Somerset (BANES). Dynamic and diverse tree-rich landscapes that regenerate the environment, communities and the natural world. Inspiring and enabling people to come together to grow, plant and care for climate-resilient trees. More Trees was set up in 2008 by Adam Gretton and a group of friends who were concerned about the environment. They wanted to take action where they lived and decided to plant trees. They worked with other small community groups around Bath and managed to find a site for small-scale planting projects. In their first few years, the small group often struggled with pests and disease affecting the survival rate and health of the saplings. Putting these issues down to their use of imported trees, they looked to source trees that were grown locally but quickly found this was easier said than done. Location Vision Tiny acorn In 2021, the group came up with the idea of collecting seeds in local woodlands and growing their own trees. They set up a couple of community tree nurseries on a piece of land belonging to some local people who were happy to help. They began collecting seeds from local ancient and semi-natural woodlands, stratifying and sowing them, nurturing the young saplings and then using their own native, locally grown trees for planting projects in the area. This process reduces the reliance on imported trees, which, in turn, lowers imported disease risks and carbon footprint. Over time, the idea snowballed and soon there were lots of other people who wanted to get involved in different ways, including offering land on which to grow the trees. In 2022, the organisation became a registered charity (CIO) and began employing people. Putting down roots More Trees BANES continued to expand and, to date, has planted around 16,000 trees in Bath and North-East Somerset, focusing on areas of higher deprivation. They now have a network of 17 community nurseries that together produce enough saplings to plant around 4000 trees annually, most of which are planted by volunteers. Over time, More Trees BANES have built trust with different communities in and around Bath and NorthEast Somerset and have a good reputation for delivering healthy trees, inspiring local leaders and mobilising people to get actively involved through different volunteering roles and events. Regular activities and sessions with volunteers involve seed collecting, seed planting, looking after saplings, running the community tree nurseries, working with schools, planting out trees in new sites, watering and weeding young trees and an annual calendar of fun, inclusive and educational community events. Mighty oak 1514 [A community member] might do a bit of seed processing, cleaning seeds, getting their hands really mucky and then those seeds are sown and we see what they look like in six months’ time as little seedlings… One of the strengths of our model is that 360 approach to growing and planting, as it teaches people about that process. A big part of our mission is to share knowledge about the whole lifecycle of trees, involve people in every stage of growing trees, and increase community members’ understanding of and connection to local environments.” “ An exciting and scalable aspect of More Trees BANES is their community tree nursery model. They use a ‘hub and spoke’ structure, with one Central Nursery Hub and 17 community tree nurseries (see illustration). Each aspect is described briefly below. The Central Nursery Hub The Central Nursery Hub serves as the operational heart, coordinating the initial seed collection and germination and then nurturing the seedlings for around six months. Equipped with a polytunnel and building infrastructure, it oversees the early growth stages where young trees need the most care and attention. Recently relocated to a deprived area of Bath, the Hub is now more accessible to urban communities. Community tree nurseries At six-months old, saplings are moved to one of the community tree nurseries where they are planted in the ground to continue growing for one or two years. The community nurseries are run autonomously, entirely by volunteers. Central to the organisation’s success, volunteers take ownership of nursery operations and are involved in decision-making, especially regarding nursery design, composting systems, rainwater harvesting systems and planting schedules. A dedicated staff member focuses on volunteer engagement and management, ensuring inclusive opportunities across seed collection, nursery care, and planting. Planting sites When land becomes available and the young trees are strong enough, they are lifted and planted in urban green spaces, particularly in areas of social deprivation. After the planting season, any remaining unplanted trees are offered out through community giveaways. Network of community partnerships More Trees BANES successfully integrates its nursery model with the wider community. Nurseries are hosted in schools, allotments, private land, and other shared spaces – including a local mental health charity (Mind), a city-centre building society, and an Avon Needs Trees site. The organisation collaborates with horticultural therapy programmes and social housing providers to diversify participation. Partnerships with schools are particularly important, as children learn how to care for trees from seed to sapling through curriculum-linked, self-directed and sensory activities. The programme supports confidence, emotional regulation and engagement, especially for pupils who find the classroom difficult. A model we can learn from Find out more about More Trees BANES Website: moretrees.earth Instagram: instagram.com/moretreesbanes/?hl=en Facebook: facebook.com/moretreesbanes X: twitter.com/MoreTreesBANES More Trees BANES Tree Nursery Planting Site Model Key The Central Nursery Hub Coordination and sapling distribution Community tree nurseries Planting sites and network of community partnerships 1716 3130 The Orchard Project UK-wide, with a central organisation that supports independent community orchards across the UK. Bringing orchards into the heart of urban communities. The Orchard Project was founded in 2009 by two friends, Carina Millstone and Rowena Ganguli, who met whilst studying for a Master’s degree in Leadership for Sustainable Development. The story goes that one of them was jogging through her local park and had a sudden epiphany about how much fruit could be grown in London for communities to eat. Inspired by the Victorian-era planting of orchards and the current abundance of underused green spaces, the two friends launched the London Orchard Project, which later evolved into The Orchard Project. Location Vision Tiny acorn In the early days, The Orchard Project developed some key partnerships through their Helping Britain Blossom programme that enabled them to expand beyond London into cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. In 2016, the National Lottery Heritage Fund supported a three-year “Celebration of Orchards” project to restore veteran orchards and develop accredited training programmes, which now include Level 1 and 3 Community Orcharding and Level 2 Forest Gardening courses. They went on to secure more funding in 2020, enabling the establishment of a new hub and small regional team in Swansea. Whilst the work has expanded over time, The Orchard Project remains rooted in community empowerment and sustainable urban greening, with a strong focus on supporting urban biodiversity and, more recently, forest gardening. Putting down roots Today, The Orchard Project continues to employ a small core team who work alongside a wide network of community groups and local partners to create, restore and care for community orchards and forest gardens across the UK. The project has been involved in creating or restoring around 600 orchards and forest gardens over the last 15 years. A key focus of the initiative is transforming neglected or underused urban areas, particularly in places experiencing deprivation or where community groups may not yet exist. In these cases, The Orchard Project provides the essential ingredients for getting community orchards and forest gardens started, including community mapping and engagement to find some keen residents who want to get involved. Orchards offer seasonal touchpoints that nurture people’s connections with trees – from beautiful blossom in spring to delicious fruit in autumn. This gentle cycle encourages regular, meaningful engagement without being overly demanding. Over time, these spaces provide more than just free food: they foster community cohesion, enhance the beauty of local areas, and support urban wildlife. A central part of the project’s mission is to enhance habitats and biodiversity, and this involves thinking carefully about planting plans and avoiding pesticides. These benefits help explain why so many volunteers are inspired to give their time to steward orchards and forest gardens in their communities. Mighty oak Making a piece of amenity grassland look much more interesting and more beautiful; giving people an opportunity to meet their neighbours and voluntarily caring for trees together; getting parents and carers outside with their kids, watering trees; collectively appreciating the trees and nature around us… Our work is about community and biodiversity” “ The Orchard Project has an inspiring way of working with local communities. Their model is built on collaboration, empowerment and ecological stewardship. Crucially, The Orchard Project does not own or manage the sites it helps to create. Instead, it collaborates with local groups like ‘friends of’ groups, schools, churches and housing associations to collectively co-design and plant orchards on publicly accessible sites. These green spaces – typically parks, housing estates, schools or community gardens – are then left in the hands of those community groups and other local people to manage and maintain. Sometimes, groups approach The Orchard Project team directly with requests for help. In areas of higher deprivation, staff may take a more proactive approach to engage communities. The Orchard Project’s five-step model is illustrated with the diagram and explained below. 1. Gathering information The process begins with a site assessment, habitat or biodiversity surveys and community mapping to identify potential partners and volunteers. 2. Co-design workshop The Orchard Project facilitates a workshop where participants use an Orchard Design Kit with scaled maps and miniature trees to plan their orchard. Decisions on species, varieties and layout are made collaboratively, with The Orchard Project staff offering expert guidance on suitability and biodiversity. 3. Planting days Planting days are led by The Orchard Project but carried out by volunteers. The model has evolved to include multiple planting layers – fruit trees, bushes, and pollinator-friendly plants – reflecting a forest garden ethos. 4. Train orchard leaders Key volunteers are recruited as Orchard Leaders and provided with a dedicated training session. Each site receives a tailored orchard management plan detailing care requirements and tree varieties. 5. Aftercare and ongoing support Finally, aftercare is a cornerstone of the model. The Orchard Project returns in the second and third years after planting to deliver pruning and maintenance workshops, ensuring trees establish successfully. In this way, even if the original community group dissolves, the orchards have the best chance of surviving. The Orchard Project also runs an orchard support programme, seasonal webinars and newsletters to maintain engagement and provide ongoing advice. Community involvement ...is integral at every stage – from the orchard design to its signage creation, which often involves children or local artists. The model is flexible, adapting to the needs and priorities of different landowners, including local authorities and schools, and occasionally responding to requests from councils or institutions. Ultimately, The Orchard Project’s model is about creating resilient, multifunctional and lowmaintenance green spaces that are co-managed by communities, enriching both their sense of place and the urban ecosystems they’re part of. A model we can learn from Find out more about The Orchard Project Website: theorchardproject.org.uk Instagram: instagram.com/theorchardproject Facebook: facebook.com/WeAreTheOrchardProject/ Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/the-orchard-project-cause-ltd 3332 2. Co-design workshop 4. Train orchard leaders Expert guidance Orchard design kit Community mapping Newsletters Pruning & maintenance workshops Seasonal webinars Orchard support programme Site assessment Habitat & biodiversity surveys Orchard Management Plan Recruit orchard leaders Community Involvement 1. Gather information 3. Planting days 5. Aftercare and ongoing support 3534 Tiny Forests UK-wide, with a central organisation that supports independent Tiny Forests across the UK. Great cities are green cities: bringing the benefits of woodlands into the heart of our cities and urban spaces. A little different to the other tiny acorns this booklet showcases, Tiny Forests is a tiny solution by design. The Tiny Forests programme began in 2020 led by Earthwatch Europe, an environmental charity, as a collaborative experiment rooted in the ideas of urban greening, nature recovery and community engagement. It was inspired by the Miyawaki planting method, a way to establish woodland on degraded land developed by Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki. This method has been backed by other organisations, including The Tree Council, Trees and Design Action Group, and several local authority tree management teams. Although the Tiny Forests programme is coordinated by an ENGO, each individual Tiny Forest is requested, established and nurtured by a local community and/or landowner. Tiny Forests seek to replicate dense, biodiverse forest ecosystems in small urban plots, involving communities at every step of design, delivery and ongoing care. Any given community or landowner who would like to grow a tiny forest can reach out to Earthwatch and make it happen together. They can be cultivated on a 200m2 plot – which is about the size of a tennis court and, in forest terms, very small! This means you don’t need much land to grow a Tiny Forest, making it an appealing model to landowning organisations. Location Vision Tiny acorn Despite initial unknowns about how ecologically successful Tiny Forests would be in the UK, the idea itself has gained a lot of interest and traction. Since the programme started, Tiny Forests delivery teams have embraced a learning-by-doing ethos, where each project contributes new learning about how best to grow a Tiny Forest, as well as an awareness of the many ecological and social outcomes they provide. Funding constraints have shaped the programme trajectory, but Tiny Forests remains committed to refining its approach and expanding its reach to more communities and places. Putting down roots Today, Tiny Forests remains focused on planting new and maintaining existing Tiny Forests by working collaboratively with community groups in neighbourhoods. The forests are designed not only to support urban biodiversity but also to serve as accessible green spaces for communities, particularly in areas of higher deprivation. With almost 300 Tiny Forests planted and a growing network of 900+ volunteers, Tiny Forests show how small-scale, community-led greening can transform urban landscapes. Despite challenges in funding and capacity, the Tiny Forest project continues to grow, offering a replicable, inclusive approach to urban nature restoration and climate resilience. Mighty oak Partnership is absolutely key to how you deliver these kinds of projects. Not one organisation knows everything. The partnership with Earthwatch has been really quite extraordinary because we have a scientific approach to how we operate and Earthwatch is able to create a community connection to that.” Alastair Collier, A Healthier Earth [I live in] a very underprivileged area. Locally, we have people who don’t have their own gardens. So having access to some green space nearby that is local, easily accessible, is just so hugely important for people’s wellbeing, for socialising, for giving you that opportunity to check on the trees and to be connected to nature.” Maria, a Tiny Forest Tree Keeper based in North London “ “ The Miyawaki method, adapted by Tiny Forests, is a compact, high-density approach to woodland creation designed for urban environments aimed at creating closed canopies and accelerated tree heights. It involves planting approximately 600 native trees in a 200m² area. The goal is to recreate the layered structure of natural woodlands, including canopy, subcanopy, understory and shrub layers, fostering rich biodiversity and ecological resilience. Each Tiny Forest begins with someone – usually a landowner or local community action group – taking the initiative to request a Tiny Forest. It can take some time to negotiate funding and land arrangements, but once they are in place, several practical steps are followed: 1. Soil testing and preparation: determines compaction, texture, pH, and nutrient levels. Soil is then de-compacted and enriched with compost, manure, and straw to improve aeration and water retention. 2. Creating a planting plan: plants and trees are selected so that it grows canopy cover, understory, shrubs and ground cover. Species selection is informed by local conditions and nearby semi-natural woodlands, ensuring ecological compatibility and survival. A simple planting plan may include benches or outdoor classroom areas. 3. A community tree planting day: where trees are planted densely and randomly to mimic natural growth patterns. Bringing together residents, school pupils and staff, and other volunteers, these days foster a sense of shared ownership and connection to the young Tiny Forest. 4. Recruitment of Tree Keepers: usually happens during the community tree planting day. These are the key volunteers who will take on leadership roles to continue community engagement and monitor the Tiny Forest’s health and development over time. 5. Community involvement: Local communities are involved at all stages of Tiny Forest development, including site selection, forest design and ongoing stewardship. Despite limited resources, Tiny Forest’s paid staff team fosters participation through newsletters, seasonal activities and events like Discovery Days. On an ongoing basis, Tree Keepers and other volunteers support care and maintenance, develop citizen science surveys about biodiversity carbon storage and flood mitigation, and organise community events based at the Tiny Forest. To ensure the benefits of Tiny Forests are shared with community members, Tiny Forests are typically planted in public or school-owned spaces, with a focus on areas of low green infrastructure and high deprivation. Collaboration with councils, schools, landowners and funders helps to secure new planting sites, which usually involve a 10-year tenure agreement. Forest designs often include classroom areas or benches to encourage use as community spaces, and to widen access, Tiny Forests have stopped using gates. The central programme team collects feedback from communities to learn lessons and inform ongoing design improvements, including seating adjustments and potential pathways through forests. Overall, the success of the Tiny Forest model lies in its adaptability, positive ecological impact and social value. A model we can learn from Find out more about Tiny Forests Website: earthwatch.org.uk/program/tiny-forest Instagram: instagram.com/earthwatcheurope Facebook: facebook.com/earthwatcheurope Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/earthwatcheurope/ YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCcV271W7TPqy55zSv_7gitQ Tiny Forest Monitoring Report 2024 Get in touch with them directly: [email protected] The Tree Council have made this film explaining the Miyawaki method and encouraging others to use this tree planting approach. 37 36 1. Soil testing and preparation 3. A community tree planting day 2. Creating a planting plan Community involvement 4. Recruitment of Tree Keepers Common ground 38 Growing the urban forest together From tiny acorns, mighty oaks truly do grow. The stories in this booklet show how small, local actions can blossom into powerful movements for change at a neighbourhood, city or even national scale. Whether it’s planting a single tree, starting a community orchard, or transforming a forgotten patch of land into a thriving woodland, each initiative began with a spark of passion and a handful of committed people. Overtime, they’ve become part of a movement which is growing and caring for the urban forest all over the UK. Whilst the eight projects highlighted here differ in size, shape and setting, they share some powerful common ground. 39 Community leadership and collaboration At the heart of every project is community leadership. Local people saw a need, took action, and invited others to join them. Many began informally with a few neighbours, a school group, or a concerned resident. They grew through collaboration with councils, charities, landowners and other organisations. Nature for everyone These projects often focus on areas with limited or less-biodiverse green spaces, ensuring that the benefits of trees and nature are shared more fairly. They prioritise inclusion, making space for everyone – from school children and NHS patients to community members who have no prior volunteering experience – to get involved and feel connected to the trees they care for and to each other. Education and empowerment These projects go far beyond simply planting and looking after trees: they help people to build knowledge, skills and confidence. Whether it’s learning how to prune apple trees, leading community engagement events, or participating in citizen science biodiversity surveys, these projects empower ordinary people to better understand, care for and advocate for urban trees. Stewardship and connection Long-term care is built into each model through strong volunteer and coordination networks which cover the lifespan of trees. These include community tree nurseries, guardianship schemes and seasonal events. The projects celebrate the many ways people already relate to trees and nature and deepen these connections through creative activities like poetry walks, arts workshops, storytelling and spiritual practices. Action over expertise Looking after the urban trees around you can be joyful, healing and community-building. Even the smallest spaces – alleyways, hospital grounds, school playgrounds – can become havens for wildlife and people alike. You don’t need to be an expert, have lots of money or own land to make a difference. There’s no single “right” way to start. What matters is that you begin. From tiny acorns to shows us that cultivating urban forests, edible landscapes and orchards isn’t just about increasing tree cover. It’s about people creating places that feel alive, beautiful, welcoming and full of possibility. Together, we really can grow the urban forest – one tree, one patch, one neighbourhood at a time. So, what next? If you’re feeling inspired, you may already be buzzing with ideas, so we encourage you to start exploring how to put them into action. If you’re unsure, here’s some places to start: • Join a local tree guardianship scheme or community orchard • Start a conversation with neighbours or your local council about trees in your neighbourhood • Use the links in this booklet to find support and resources to start something where you live • Plant a tree, attend a walk, or volunteer at a similar project near you – community groups who care about urban trees are everywhere! Start small, share your ideas and connect with other people along the way. mighty oaks 40 41 ‘‘ ” Who produced this booklet and why? This booklet was produced by researchers in the ExCASES team, part of the Natural Environment Research Council funded RENEW project, a collaboration between the University of Exeter and the National Trust. It shares insights from the research mission ‘Cultivating communities who care for urban trees’, which investigated how biodiversity renewal was being actioned through community-driven, nature-based approaches in urban spaces. Website: renewbiodiversity.org.uk/urban-trees © 2025. This work is openly licensed via CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council funded Changing the Environment programme’s project ‘Renewing biodiversity through a people-in-nature approach (RENEW)’ (NE/W004941/1) Author: Clare Bissell Citation: Bissell, C., Twena, M., Aitchison, B., Bavin, D., Crowley, S. L., Heard, M.S. (2025). From tiny acorns to mighty oaks: inspiring stories of community action for the UK’s urban forest. RENEW. Design and Illustrations: Xanthia Hallissey