Last updated: November 2024
MINI Ireland, in collaboration with conservation charity Earthwatch Europe, has launched Ireland's first "Tiny Forest" at the Tolka River Project, a community-driven rehabilitation program in Co. Dublin. In a space the size of a tennis court (195m²), nearly 600 native trees have been planted, creating a densely packed, environmentally efficient green area. This partnership with Earthwatch aims to raise awareness for local environmental projects and foster community bonds. Green spaces like this offer valuable areas for people to connect with nature, exercise, unwind, and reduce stress—one reason the Tolka River Project center was chosen as an ideal location. "Tiny Forests" are remarkable for their impressive efficiency within a small footprint: by planting 600 native trees closely together, the forest grows naturally with increased density, achieving up to 30% more plant density, ten times faster growth, and up to thirty times better carbon dioxide absorption. Over the next three years, this forest is expected to attract more than 500 animal and plant species, transforming into an accessible mini-ecosystem. The project uses a variety of locally sourced native trees, including silver birch, alder, hazel, hawthorn, and gorse, which together will form the natural layers of a forest. Ireland's first Tiny Forest was planted on March 22, 2023, at the Tolka River Project site in Dublin's Buzzardstown area. The Tiny Forest, located near the center, will serve as a space for reflection and recovery, supporting clients on their journey to rehabilitation. The planting event was a day of celebration, with Tolka River Project clients and MINI Ireland staff working side-by-side to create this thriving green space.. The space is utilized to create recovery-focused programs, including mindfulness and yoga, while functioning as a social gathering area (7).
Ireland’s first Tiny Forest
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Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Soil quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Deforestation and forest degradation
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Creation of new, innovative governance and management approaches, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Citizen science and monitoring initiatives (e.g. species observations, habitat assessments, and data collection efforts), Species-specific monitoring and conservation programs
Project objectives
To enhance biodiversity and ecosystem health through the creation of rich habitats for diverse species.
To improve carbon absorption by planting dense, native tree populations that sequester carbon efficiently.
To provide accessible green spaces that encourage education, exercise, relaxation, and recreation
To offer opportunities for community engagement through citizen science, volunteering, and collaborative efforts to monitor and understand the environmental and social impacts of Tiny Forests in diverse urban settings.
To contribute to urban resilience by helping manage flood risks, reducing urban heat, and enhancing soil permeability to better handle extreme rainfall.
To create and conserve habitats within urban green spaces, providing essential nesting areas, food sources, and migration pathways for local wildlife.
To raise awareness of local environmental projects that enhance the community’s connection to nature.
To strengthen community bonds by engaging residents in environmental initiatives and shared green spaces. (1-7)
Implementation activities
Planting of 600 indigenous trees, including species such as Silver Birch, Alder, Hazel, Hawthorn, and Gorse. The Tiny Forest is designed to create a natural forest environment, attracting more than 500 animal and plant species within three years, thus fostering biodiversity and contributing to the local ecosystem. Local community members, including residents of Mulhuddart and clients from the Tolka River Project, were actively involved in the planting process. Earthwatch will monitor data over the coming years, focusing on carbon absorption, thermal comfort, biodiversity, and social benefits. The Tiny Forest initiative also aims to provide the community with opportunities to learn about environmental sustainability, connecting both young and old with nature (1). Additionally, the community is engaged through the Tree Keeper volunteer program, which encourages local residents to take an active role in maintaining the Tiny Forest. Volunteers can choose from a range of activities, such as weeding, litter picking, community outreach to inspire others to participate, and conducting citizen science by tracking butterflies and measuring tree growth (7).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect endangered species
- Means for conservation governance
- Biodiversity offsets
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore endangered species
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Citizen science
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Earthwatch Europe, a conservation charity, is a key actor, responsible for coordinating the initiative and scientific monitoring. MINI Ireland, the private sector partner, supports the initiative through funding and promoting sustainability efforts as part of its "Big Love Strategy." Local residents and clients from the Tolka River Project were actively involved in the tree-planting process (1). Currently, the community is engaged through the Tree Keeper volunteer program, which invites local residents to actively support the Tiny Forest. Volunteers can choose from various activities, such as maintenance, community engagement, and scientific monitoring (7).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Environmental quality
- Improved soil quality
- Expected improved soil quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Expected increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Expected reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Expected enhanced support of pollination
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Expected improved physical health
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
Yes
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
MINI Ireland (n.d.). MINI and Earthwatch launch Ireland’s first Tiny Forest.. MINI Ireland, Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
2.
FleetCar (2023). MINI and Earthwatch launch Ireland’s first Tiny Forest. FleetCar, Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Earthwatch (n.d.). Tolka River Project. Earthwatch, Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Fingal Country (n.d.). Fingal LECP Socio-Economic Profile. Fingal Country, Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Earthwatch (2023). Tiny Forest Monitoring Report 2023. Earthwatch, Accessed on October 1, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Lee, G. (2023). Rehabilitation centre branches out with Ireland's first Tiny Forest. RTÉ, Accessed on October 1, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Tiny Forest (n.d.). Tolka River Project. Tiny Forest, Accessed on October 1, 2024, [Source link];
Ireland’s first Tiny Forest
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Ireland’s first Tiny Forest
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Ireland’s first Tiny Forest
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Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.