The first Miyawaki forest in the UK of 1,000 native trees on barren Thames Water land in north London, is thriving today. This was our first mini forest where the rapid dense growth demonstrated the success of the Miyawaki model in the UK.
In January 2020, Dream For Trees planted its first Miyawaki forest on an unused patch of Thames Water land in the heart of Highgate, north London. This was also the very first Miyawaki forest planted in the UK.
The ground was rotavated before the trees went in.
The planting was led by Dream For Trees founder Ben Cooper, for whom this stretch of north London is home ground. The local community has been enjoying watching the forest grow quickly each year, reaching 12 feet tall after just four years.
1,000 native trees of more than 15 different species, planted in the dense, multi-layered way Miyawaki plantings require. What had been an unused strip of urban land is now a layered native woodland, visibly different with every passing season.
The before and after photos show the speed of transformation of urban land, this is the hallmark of the Miyawaki methodology.
