On 13 August, during the UK’s fifth heatwave of the summer, we visited our Ickleford planting in Hertfordshire where we’ve had 6,000 trees in the ground since 2022 / 2023. The grass around it was brown and parched but the mini-forest and hedgerow were dense and green.
Miyawaki forests build resilience quickly. Planted at extreme density using native species matched to local soils, they create their own microclimate, cooling the air and retaining moisture. Research shows that neighbourhoods with more than 20% urban tree canopy experience a measurable net cooling effect, and as Dr Thami Croeser of RMIT University puts it, “every mature tree lost now is irreplaceable on the timeline that matters for current heatwaves.”
This summer, the National Trust’s Holnicote estate in Somerset provided a striking illustration of what nature-based solutions can do. Where rivers have been restored and wetlands reconnected, the land stayed green through five consecutive heatwaves while the surrounding countryside dried out around it.