Day three of the Tiny Tour, and we found ourselves in South Wales, helping Earthwatch deliver a community day at the Tiny Forest in Sarn. This one was only planted in March of this year and it is looking remarkably healthy in spite of the brutal heat. Word on the street is that one of the neighbours is giving it a little watering-can love to help out the young trees! We joined up with Grace from Earthwatch and some kids and parents from the local community and went about our business: litter picking, measuring trees, counting creepy crawlies. It was hot work but the children were enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about the importance of trees for their future and the planet's. And we collected lots of good data for the tiny forest team! Looking forward to our fourth and final destination tomorrow!

Today our Tiny Forest Tour took us to Hinksley Recreation Ground in Flitwick, ( yes like the professor ) supporting Anna from Earthwatch for another afternoon of citizen science and community engagement.

With temperatures well into the 30s, the council officers had very kindly put up a marquee to give us some much-needed shade. They had also set up a bug-hotel activity, giving the children another way to explore the wildlife around them.

This Tiny Forest was planted in February 2024 with help from local schools, but sadly it has suffered a very poor survival rate. Looking across it today, it appeared that perhaps two-thirds of the original trees had died. Whether that is down to the location, planting conditions, successive dry periods or a combination of factors isn’t entirely clear, but during the current heatwave the remaining trees were certainly struggling.

And that made today’s citizen science particularly interesting.

I helped the children with the ground-dweller survey. Before lifting the slabs, we talked about the incredibly dry soil and what sorts of creatures we might normally expect to find underneath. Almost every slab we lifted was virtually devoid of life — perhaps the odd creature scuttling away, but very little else. Even the slabs themselves were hot.

It was disappointing and quite shocking, but actually a powerful lesson. Citizen science isn’t only about finding lots of wildlife; it’s also about recording when it isn’t there and thinking about why. The children could see for themselves the connection between heat, lack of moisture and the life that depends upon the soil.

So we tried to turn that into something positive. The children loved the idea of adopting just one of the surviving trees giving it a name, keeping an eye on it and perhaps bringing it some water during these exceptionally hot and dry periods. Saving an entire forest sounds daunting; looking after one little tree suddenly feels possible.

Anna also demonstrated how quickly water soaked into the ground within the Tiny Forest compared with the surrounding grass. Despite how badly the forest is struggling, the difference was striking. It was a useful reminder that these areas aren’t only about trees: healthier, more absorbent soils can also help hold water and slow surface run-off during heavy rainfall.

Today’s results weren’t necessarily the ones we would have wanted, but that’s science. With temperatures forecast to rise again tomorrow, perhaps the lesson from Hinksley is about mitigation, understanding and appreciation — seeing what a changing climate means at ground level and discovering the small things we can do to help.

Maybe we can’t each save a forest. But perhaps we can each adopt one tree.

Go and discover the Tiny Forest yourself: Hinksley Road Recreation Ground St Paul’s Close / Hinksley Road Flitwick MK45 1ES

check out the surveys here https://tinyforest.earthwatch.org.uk/tiny-forest-sites/692-houghton-hall-park-tiny-forest

Tiny Forest Tour – A Hot Start in Houghton Hall Park. ( see address details below.)

Our GoodGym Tiny Forest Tour got underway at Houghton Hall Park near Dunstable, supporting Earthwatch with the first of our community and citizen science days.

And what a day to start ... sweltering heat and an amber heat warning!

Daniel, Gus and I arrived at 2pm to find a rather parched but beautifully maintained park. We met Hannah from Earthwatch, who was leading the session, along with Peter, a local volunteer who had helped plant the Tiny Forest back in February.

We also met Caroline and Ian, who work with the Trust engaging people with this lovely park. Houghton Hall Park occupies the grounds of an old manor house and has a great mixture of open space, mature trees and woodland, ornamental gardens, a vegetable garden, playground and café. The Tiny Forest is another new element being added to this fantastic community space.

Given the heat, we weren’t sure how many people would venture out, but we ended up engaging with lots of lovely young families. We helped introduce them to citizen science – including measuring the young trees and understanding how their growth can be used to estimate carbon capture.

Hopefully we also planted a few seeds for future involvement from local families and schools.

And these young trees need watching. With increasingly hot, dry conditions, collecting information about how they survive and grow is becoming particularly valuable.

If you’re local, why not get involved? Visit the Tiny Forest, scan the QR code on the information board and start contributing observations and measurements. You can also become a Tiny Forest Tree Keeper and help look after it over the coming years.

Even if you’re just passing along the M1, Houghton Hall Park is worth a stop – a great café, beautiful gardens and woodland, and now a Tiny Forest to explore.

A hot but very enjoyable start to our tour – GoodGym supporting Earthwatch.

Address - Park Rd N, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU5 5FU, United Kingdom, 51.901650162412494,-0.5107539063409314 Link to TF - https://tinyforest.earthwatch.org.uk/tiny-forest-sites/692-houghton-hall-park-tiny-forest