Connect with us

Trending

The Japanese ‘micro-forest’ method is transforming cities

Published

on

A micro-forest planted by Sugi in a primary school in Beirut, Lebanon Sugi
Spread the love

Between busy streets, parks and shopping centres, a green transformation is quietly underway,  bringing nature back to the urban sprawl of cities. Micro-forests, small areas of densely planted woodland trees, are being planted everywhere from London to Los Angeles.

But what are they and how can they make our built-up metropolises better?

What are micro-forests and why do we need them?

More than 420 million hectares of forest have been lost to other uses since 1990, according to the UN’s 2020 State of the World’s Forests Report.

With more than 85 per cent of the global population living in urban areas, micro-forests in cities offer an essential opportunity to combat deforestation.

The Miyawaki Forest Technique, invented by Japanese botanist and plant ecology expert Professor Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s, is the inspiration for micro-forests worldwide.

These diverse, organic small forests can be created on sites as small as nine square metres, and only use native species that would otherwise grow naturally in the planting area. They grow up to 10 times faster than monoculture forests, in just two to three decades.

Since Miyawaki’s work began, more than 280 micro-forests have been planted.

NGO Earthwatch Europe has planted 285 tiny forests since 2022. Their plots, made up of 600 trees, can attract more than 500 animal and plant species within the first three years. Locations include a sports ground and park in Haringey, North London. Meanwhile ‘SUGi’, a tree-planting programme which aims to restore biodiversity and reintroduce native species, has created 230 ‘pocket forests’ in 52 cities across the world, from Toulouse, France, to Saint George in Romania and Madrid, Spain.

How do micro-forests benefit the environment?

In polluted urban areas, micro-forests can help to restore soil, water and air quality, according to the Woodland Trust.

Their small size allows plantation in relatively limited urban space, often taking advantage of unused spaces such as school playgrounds, cemeteries, and near metro stations. They can also help to reduce the impact of heavy rainfall, and to keep towns and cities cooler.

They become magnets for human connection

Elise Van Middelem
Founder and CEO of SUGi.

Micro-forests can create more habitats for wildlife in cities, such as blackbirds or hedgehogs.  When planted in distinct layers, they can also develop plant communities of smaller shrubs and herbs, which allow the micro-forests to become self-sustaining after just three to five years of growth.

“Our pocket forests offer a myriad of benefits” says Elise Van Middelem, Founder and CEO of SUGi.

“Perhaps most importantly, they can support the positive well-being of communities. From a psychological perspective, interacting with nature reduces physical stress and can improve symptoms of mental ill health, including anxiety or depression.”

“They become magnets for human connection. People take respite during the heat of the day or visit to read a book; at other times the forest becomes a place of dancing, learning, discussion, and leisure. They are self-sustaining within 2-3 years from an ecological standpoint, but at a much deeper level, community members become stewards of the land itself.”

She adds: “They also positively impact children and youth. 140 of our pocket forests were planted in schools together with almost 80,000 children. Planting pocket forests provides children with a unique opportunity to engage with nature and see that their actions can have tangible environmental outcomes. Engaging the next generation with nature is critical, because in order for us to want to protect and care for nature, we need to feel a connection with it”

What are the challenges of planting in urban areas?

Despite the benefits of urban micro-forests, there are also issues involved in growing in cities.

Exposure to pollutants, high temperatures and drought can prevent deep root growth, and increase the likelihood of disease, according to Cities4Forests, a global alliance supporting nature in cities.

Van Middelem also highlights the challenge of gaining communities’ support in growing micro-forests: “It is necessary to effectively engage stakeholders in the community and get resident buy-in. A pocket forest cannot be planted without their approval”, she says. “However, none of these challenges are insurmountable.”

These are all issues that must be considered – but with time, micro-forests could help to reduce pollution in cities as well as making them more pleasant places to live.

Trending

2025: IGP FELICITATES NIGERIANS, RESIDENTS ON NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS. Commits To More People-Centric Policing.

Published

on

Spread the love

PRESS RELEASE

2025: IGP FELICITATES NIGERIANS, RESIDENTS ON NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS.

Commits To More People-Centric Policing.

As we celebrate the New Year, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., extend heartfelt felicitations to all Nigerians and residents, wishing them a joyous and prosperous New Year. In this season of joy, reflection, and hope, the IGP acknowledges the resilience and determination of the Nigerian people amid challenges faced in the past year.

Emphasizing the importance of community engagement and a people-centric approach to policing, the IGP has reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s dedication to enhancing public safety and security through a more community-oriented and people-focused policing strategy.

The IGP calls on all Nigerians to actively participate in building a secure and peaceful nation by partnering with the Police, remaining vigilant and reporting any suspicious activities while maintaining open channels of communication with the Police and other law enforcement agencies.

As we usher in the New Year 2025, the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to protecting the lives and property of all citizens. Together, we can create a safer and more secure environment to promote growth in all sectors of our country.

Wishing all a prosperous and fulfilling 2025!

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI,
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS,
ABUJA.

1ST JANUARY 2025

Continue Reading

Trending

Polar vortex heading for US sending temperatures plunging

Published

on

Spread the love

Apolar vortex headed for the US could bring cold winds and low temperatures this week, making January the coldest month in over a decade.

According to the National Weather Service, the arctic blast will affect a large swathe of the country, arriving in the northern Rockies and expected to have spread to the East Coast by New Year’s Day.

‘A significant pattern change is expected across much of the country as an Arctic Outbreak is forecast to spread form the Northern Plains to the south and east, leading to exceptionally high probabilities of below-normal temperatures expected across much of the East’, the NWS said.

The plunge will bring wind chills across the Midwest with temperatures dipping below zero in at least 30 states.

‘The coldest air of the season to date and dangerous wind chills chills are likely across many areas of the Southeast’, the NWS warned.

In some areas, temperatures are forecasted to reach an average of around 20 degrees, while freezing conditions in the Gulf coast and even Florida could be expected.

Snowfall is also possible across parts of the Southern Plains and the Southeast with the potential for heavy snowfall expected in the Appalachians, Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes and the Northeast.

A further drop in temperatures is expected next week, and below normal temperatures are predicted to affect central and eastern US during much of January.

A polar vortex headed for the US could bring cold winds and low temperatures this week, making January the coldest month in over a decade

 

According to the National Weather Service, the arctic blast will affect a large swathe of the country, arriving in the northern Rockies and expected to have spread to the East Coast by Wednesday

 

The plunge will bring wind chills across the Midwest with temperatures dipping below zero in at least 30 states

 

Plunges like these occur when air currents that keep air frosty over the North Pole – the polar vortex – weaken, making freezing arctic air slip south and push the  vortex down with it.

That means arctic air is blasted over the US, while pressure changes cause strong winds.

Some states will be experiencing their coldest winter in years.

In Washington DC, the temperature hasn’t dropped below zero since January 31, 2019.

In Philadelphia, the same threshold has not been met since January 19, 1994.

Meanwhile, Atlanta’s temperatures have only dipped below zero three times since 2000, and the last time Raleigh, North Carolina’s temperatures fell below 10 degrees was in 2018.

January’s freezing temperatures will come after an unusually warm end to the month of December across the country.

Freezing temperatures could increase demands for heat and electricity and put a strain on the US electrical grid.

Plunges like these occur when air currents that keep air frosty over the North Pole weaken, making freezing arctic air slip south

 

That means arctic air is blasted over the US, while pressure changes cause strong winds

 

In some areas, temperatures are forecasted to reach an average of around 20 degrees

 

Some states will be experiencing their coldest winter in years

 

January’s freezing temperatures will come after an unusually warm end to the month of December across the country

 

It comes a decade after nearly 187 million Americans were affected by a polar vortex in 2014which brought a whirlpool of frigid, dense air across the country.

With wind chills that stretched from Montana to Alabama, much of the US experienced the coldest temperatures in almost 20 years.

The coldest temperature reported in a 24-hour period was -36 degrees at Crane Lake, Minnesota.

New York Governor at the time Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency covering 13 counties in the western part of the state.

In addition, more than 20 people across the country died from the cold as they dealt with severely low temperatures.

Read more

Continue Reading

Trending

Activist VeryDarkMan Exposes Social Media Gullibility with Fake N180M Scandal

Published

on

Spread the love

 

Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has revealed that the alleged theft of N180 million from his NGO account was, in fact, an elaborate ruse.

In a video posted on social media, VeryDarkMan confessed that he orchestrated the stunt to expose the credulity of social media users. He claimed that 80% of online users lack critical thinking skills, blindly accepting information without scrutiny.

VeryDarkMan expressed dismay at the public’s eagerness to believe the false narrative, which led to widespread vilification of him and his mother. He emphasized that the funds donated to his NGO remain intact, and the website was intentionally taken down as part of the experiment.

Photo source: X

Continue Reading

Trending