1,800 new trees! 🌳🌿

Next to the North Circular, one of London's busiest roads, sits Mutton Brook. This previously under-utilised green space has now expanded from our initial Tiny Forest to four thanks to the brilliant work of 8 GoodGymers, Earthwatch, Barnet Council, school children and members from the local community.

Great work and nice one for being apart of it Scarlett, Paul, George, Daniel, Kubilay and special mention to Anastasiia and David on your first good deeds with GoodGym!

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What is a Tiny Forest and how does it help? 🌳
The 3 new Tiny Forests each hold 600 densely planted trees, using the Miyawaki method developed in Japan. Having an additional 1,800 new trees will not only help to improve local biodiversity and create more green spaces for people to connect with nature, they’ll also be used for scientific studies by Earthwatch, universities, schools, and citizen scientists.

The planting will specifically help scientists understand how trees in urban areas can grow best - the 3 plots are trialling different planting methods, using a mix of experimental and traditional techniques. We're proud to be part of such an innovative project that’s putting Barnet on the map for green solutions.

Record holders 🥇
Citizen science is a key feature of Earthwatch’s environmental research projects, providing evidence and monitoring data that are crucial to helping scientists better understand and improve the management of the natural environment.

We were also very proud to find out that our first Tiny Forest in Mutton Brook holds the record for the most data submitted - well done to all of our citizen scientists for all their data collections over the years.

Inspiring speeches 🎤
After a lovely day planting in the sunshine we then headed to Stephens House & Gardens, a beautiful space that we regularly support, for Earthwatch's evening reception. After many inspiring speeches, Paul and Daniel closed, speaking brilliantly about GoodGym and their experiences in Mutton Brook - emphasising how well the Tiny Forest connects the community and the importance of helping people benefit from connecting with nature and green spaces.

We look forward to supporting the growth of the new Tiny Forests and thank Earthwatch for being such brilliant and inspiring partners to collaborate with.

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To read BBC's feature on the Barnet Tiny Forest planting please click here.

To find out more information about Earthwatch's Tiny Forest project please click here.

With clear skies above and sturdy legs below, four Goodgymmers stormed into the darkening evening from the Phoenix Cinema. We ran a solid, mostly car-free 3km to the tinyforest, with Kubilay and Theodore. Subham kept the pace up while night scarfed up the tender eye of pitiful day. Starlight hardly pierced the twilight engulfing Lyttleton fields, so we turned on head torches.

On Falloden Way we met Gabonnet and Scarlett, who joined us in the meadow. Dark tracks from the diggers led to the newly turned earthy, where we'll be planting three new tinyforests later this month. Then, in the far corner of the forgotten fields we found the existing tinyforest.

We assembled our three birdfeeders, two with fat balls and one with seeds, entered the forest and hung the feeders on branches. Though stones have been known to move and trees to speak, we heard nary a nightingale nor late blackbird singing for supper, but we'll see what they have taken when we come back next week.

We talked about the impact of the tinyforest, the various citizen science data we could record (in daylight) and the new tinymeadow that should start blooming soon. Then, wishing a fair journey home to Scarlett, Subham and Gabrielle, three of us mustered our mettle for the 3km trek back to the Phoenix.

This was the follow up mission to finish off the group run! well done for the extra effort!

On Wednesday, 16th October, GoodGym Barnet joined forces with Earthwatch and Barnet Council for an inspiring community mission to create a wildflower meadow just south of the North Circular, adjacent to the Tiny Forest Barnet. Volunteers, including local residents, council representatives, and Tiny Forest Tree Keepers, came together for a hands-on experience in boosting biodiversity while also contributing to important nature and wellbeing research.

The day began with the ground already prepared—upturned and scarified—to ensure optimal conditions for the wildflower seeds to thrive. The meadow, designed as an experimental site, was split into sections, with perennial flowers planted in one part, while the upper field remained without them. Volunteers mixed seeds with sand, spreading them carefully over a 600m² area before gently compacting the soil with their feet.

Paul and George, representing GoodGym Barnet, worked alongside other volunteers Including Peter, Caroline, Shiri and others looking to improve their community. They meticulously seeded their assigned section, feeling the weight of responsibility in getting the distribution just right. The atmosphere was vibrant with anticipation as the team contributed to what promises to be a lasting legacy for generations to come.

But the event wasn’t just about planting. Volunteers had the opportunity to participate in a fascinating study led by researchers from the University of Oxford. The study explored the effects of being in green spaces on human wellbeing, measuring heart rates and collecting saliva samples both before and after spending 20 minutes in nature. Paul found himself assigned to the serene Tiny Forest, where he stood immersed in the tranquil environment, feeling noticeably calmer—a welcome contrast after a morning at the dentist!

After the planting and the research, Paul and George shared a well-deserved lunch at Stephens House and Gardens, reflecting on the day’s activities and the contribution they had made. The meadow will bloom into a vibrant space that not only supports local wildlife but also continues to provide insights into the link between nature and wellbeing.

For those interested in visiting or getting involved in future events, the meadow site is located at Mutton Brook, Barnet, London NW11 6DA (Coordinates: //////went.give.torn). It’s a great opportunity to see the area develop and support ongoing projects like the upcoming Tiny Forest planting.

A couple of GoodGym members visited the Tiny Forest to do some citizen science. This included updating some information on biodiversity from the slabs. Because the trees are getting so big and the tags are falling off. One of the tree keepers Patrick has decided to create a map and label the trees within zones.

I went along to meet Dr. Narroway who had invited us to attend with her in doing citizen science at Tiny Forest Barnet. The Forest has grown considerably and has become harder to measure. She has introduced new equipment to measure height and they are also thinking of using a quadrat system to further improve measurements.