So much positivity in the air in Cator Park today as volunteers of all ages gathered to plant 600 saplings forming a Tiny Forest – the first in Bromley and the first nationwide to be funded by community donations. To add to the excitement, there was an ITV News reporter in attendance, spreading the word about the environmental value of urban forests and telling the story of the community’s success in funding this ambitious project, spurred on by shared outrage at last year’s illegal felling of mature trees on neighbouring land.

GoodGymers Angela, Tatiana, Louise and Linda helped get the first planting session of the day off to a smooth start, working with Earthwatch experts to prepare the tiny trees representing 18 native species chosen as suited to local soil conditions. With most of the planting being done by families who contributed to the fundraising, we decided the best use of GoodGym muscle was to move mulch around the site for distribution amongst the saplings. Good muddy fun in the sun!