The Tiny Forest signpost and QR code needed to be switched around so that visitors could properly take part in the citizen science activities.

One of the Tree Keepers, Patrick, and I took the necessary tools down to the site and swapped the signs over. Thanks to Patrick’s help, we got the whole job completed pretty swiftly.

The QR code is now ready to use, so please consider visiting the Tiny Forest and taking part in some citizen science. Simply scan the code and follow one of the activities.

It’s a great way for children and families to explore nature during the summer holidays while also contributing useful information about how the Tiny Forest is developing.

Five goodgymers went along to help the local community with citizen science activities at the Tiny Forests near Mutton Brook. There are four Tiny Forests there now, and there is a lot of work to do: litter picking, tree measuring, and various other experiments.

London Climate Action Week could not have come at a more appropriate time, with the whole of Europe baking under record high temperatures. And tree cover in urban areas is a hot topic, as we all battle to keep our cities livable in this new normal.

So it was great to see local citizens caring for their local forest cover: 2,400 trees planted by the community since 2022, with the help of environmental NGO Earthwatch.

Tiny Forests are densely packed areas of tree cover, planted using the now-famous Miyawaki method . The tree cover is all native species and they are ideal for urban environments, where space is at a premium.

We all got busy with different tasks, while enjoying the sight of butterflies and bees coming to feast on the flowers growing alongside the trees.

Looking forward to the next event at the Tiny Forests!

Tiny steps, big impact

On a lovely sunny day, we gathered at Stephens House and Gardens for a GoodGym Barnet starter session — a relaxed introduction to how GoodGym connects running, volunteering and local community spaces.

The aim of the session was simple: to give newcomers a flavour of what GoodGym does locally, using two great examples of our community activity — Stephens House and Gardens and the nearby Tiny Forest.

Stephens House and Gardens is one of Barnet’s much-loved green spaces, and GoodGym has helped there in many ways over the years, from gardening and planting to supporting the team with practical outdoor jobs. It is a brilliant example of how regular volunteering can help care for local community assets.

After numbering up and introducing ourselves, we had a fun opening chat about encounters with animals while out running. Needless to say, we won’t go into all the details here — but it certainly got everyone smiling.

We then headed off through the park and down towards the Tiny Forest. This is another fantastic local project where GoodGym has been involved, helping with planting, care and citizen science monitoring. At the forest, we carried out some simple measurements linked to carbon capture and biodiversity, using survey slabs to see how the site may be changing over time — including what is happening in the soil as the forest develops.

It was one of those GoodGym sessions that perfectly combined movement, purpose and community: a bit of running, a bit of learning, a bit of science, and plenty of fresh air.

Afterwards, we headed back to Stephens House and Gardens and enjoyed the sunshine at the café with some well-earned food and drinks.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

We’ll be running these starter sessions regularly, so if you’re new to GoodGym Barnet and would like a gentle taster, keep an eye out for the next one. And if you don’t want to wait, come along to one of our Tuesday evening group activities. We’re a welcoming group, we’re not about super fitness, and we always adapt what we do depending on the task and who is with us.

Four goodgymers went along to the Mutton Brook Tiny Forests to help the local community in their first citizen science event of 2026.

With local residents, they engaged in all sorts of different surveys of the Tiny Forests: soil compaction, thermal comfort, tree measuring. And they collected several bags of rubbish around the site.

The weather played its part: it was windy but gloriously sunny and everyone was happy to be out on this spring day,blowing away the winter cobwebs.

The surveys help collect data from the 200+ forests dotted around the country, which environmental charity Earthwatch collates and analyzes.

If you want to learn more about the science around the Tiny Forests, visit this link

We look forward to the next community mission at the Tiny Forests!

Undeterred by the drop in temperature and threat of rain, our trusty group of Goodgymmers gathered for a return to the Tinyforests at Mutton Brook. And, for a change, we had cyclists with us!

Daniel has been carrying on with his pioneering work to engage local asylum seekers in community projects. He organised invitations to two groups, so cycled from Mutton Brook to the Phoenix Cinema and back to help ferry our guests to the site. He introduced the tinyforest, citizen science and the kind of care Goodgym brings to green spaces across Barnet. He'll be working on signing them up properly, so they can engage with more volunteering and connect with the area.

The rest of us ran from the Phoenix - Beattie, Subham, Theodore and myself. We took the quick route as we set off a little late, arriving at about 7:20. The other cyclist, Paul met us on site, helped litter pick the field with us.

Aside from the remains of a barbecue, there wasn't too much litter in the main field - a weird pair of thermal sports leggings, the usual bottles, wrappers, cans. Others found bigger stuff near the roadside, and we took our fair haul of two sacks up to the bus stop bin.

We checked on the tinyforests, skirting the bounds. Earthwatch have put some clearer markers around their attempt at a tinymeadow, which hasn't worked too well. But the original tinyforest is doing so well it seems to have put some runners under the fence, with new trees now as tall as the original! Amazing to see a forest taking shape.

With another week to go before the clocks 'spring forward', it was dark by 7pm, so there wasn't much citizen science we could do after our plog. But with the extra time, that meant a slightly longer, scenic jog back through Northway Gardens and Lyttleton Park. A good bit of cardio!

GoodGym Barnet Starter Session & January Challenge Good Deed

A dull January day, but thankfully the rain mostly held off just the odd light mist to keep things atmospheric.

We gathered at Stephens House & Gardens, chatting and welcoming everyone along. Huge thanks to today’s heroes , and a big welcome to Joyceon her very first GoodGym run she did magnificently and fitted right in from the off.

We spent a bit of time talking about why Stephens House & Gardens is such a special place. As a charitable trust, it relies heavily on volunteers and community support, and it’s somewhere we help throughout the year with a wide range of tasks.

From there, we headed off to Long Lane Pastures, a local nature reserve we support occasionally. It’s a fantastic spot to explore, but the path alongside it was looking pretty tired, so out came the bags and litter-pickers. With limited time we didn’t quite finish the job definitely one to return to.

We then ran on to visit the Tiny Forest, giving our newer runners and walkers a flavour of the kinds of community projects we support on GoodGym runs.

After the session, some of us rounded things off with well-earned snacks and drinks at the Stables Café back at Stephens House & Gardens a perfect way to end the morning.

Another great example of getting active, doing good, and enjoying each other’s company. Well done everyone