After a few months, Sevan and Kash returned to Southall Tiny Forest to find it had really gone for it - grass and wildflowers everywhere, with the whole space feeling a bit more wild and untamed than before. The wildflowers in particular were doing well and added a nice burst of colour across the site.

Before getting into the planned citizen science, they were greeted by a less charming discovery: litter around the benches. Food packaging, bottles, cans, single-use vapes, and plenty of cigarette butts were scattered around. Kash also found an unexpected magic wand, which was briefly put to use to make most of the rubbish disappear (cigarette butts, unfortunately, proving stubborn even for magic).

With the area tidied up, they moved on to the main task: a wildlife survey as part of biodiversity monitoring. They recorded and counted insects across the site, including butterflies, various pollinators, dragonflies and ground dwellers like ants, larvae, and slugs. Some species were tricky to identify due to their speed and their general commitment to not being looked at closely.

Compared to previous visits, they noticed more butterflies and a greater variety of species overall, which was a positive sign for the Tiny Forest’s development. Findings were logged onto the Earthwatch digital platform before the two GoodGymers split and headed off to their next task.