Did you know, we are working with Earthwatch in the 2024-2025 tree planting season to plant Tiny Healthy Forests?
If you want a Tiny Forest for your healthcare site, register your interest as soon as possible as we only have a few of these fully funded gems to plant this year.
The integration of green spaces within urban environments has long been recognised for the numerous benefits to physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Recently, the concept of Tiny Forests—dense, fast-growing native forests about the size of a tennis court—has gained attention. Introducing these miniature forests to NHS healthcare sites presents an opportunity to enhance patient care, improve staff wellbeing, and contribute to environmental sustainability.
Our top five reasons why Tiny Healthy Forests on NHS sites are a great idea
1. Enhancing Mental Health and Wellbeing
The presence of natural environments has been shown to significantly improve mental health outcomes. Exposure to green spaces can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while enhancing mood and cognitive function. The positive impacts of daily interactions with nature could save the NHS millions of pounds annually by boosting health and wellbeing. Tiny Healthy Forests, with their dense greenery and rich biodiversity, offer a peaceful environment that can serve as a therapeutic retreat for patients and staff alike. Ideas for engaging with patients in these special spaces include:
- Mindfulness through meditation, forest bathing or mindfulness walks. You can conduct guided mindfulness walks focusing on the sights, sounds and scents.
- Nature Journaling. Encourage patients to keep nature journals, documenting their observations and reflections of the seasons.
- Art classes. Facilitate painting and drawing sessions outdoors to capture the beauty of the tree blossoms or leaves. You can even use plant matter and natural materials to create collages.
Read the Littlemore case study for an example of a Tiny Forest in a mental health centre in Oxford. It was planted in 2021 and is now flourishing and visited by patients daily.
2. Promoting Physical Health
Access to green spaces encourages physical activity, which is crucial for preventing and managing various health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Tiny Healthy Forests can be designed to include a clearing within the dense trees, which creates a private, peaceful space for light exercise or rehabilitation activities, such as yoga or tai chi. The aesthetic value and the opportunity to watch wildlife within these forests could further incentivise individuals to spend more time outdoors, engaging in physical activities.
3. Supporting Social Connectivity and Community Engagement
Tiny Healthy Forests can become focal points for community engagement within healthcare settings, significantly enhancing social wellbeing and reducing feelings of isolation among patients and staff. They offer opportunities for social interactions through community planting events, activities and educational programmes. Friendship benches are an evidence-based intervention which can enhance mental wellbeing. These could be placed within or around the forest to create meeting points.
4. Educational Benefits
Tiny Healthy Forests can serve as living classrooms for environmental education. They provide a hands-on learning environment where individuals can engage in citizen science activities, BioBlitz and biodiversity surveys are key examples of these. These activities not only educate but also empower participants, giving them a sense of contribution to environmental conservation. Other ideas for this include:
- Wildlife Cameras. Bring the outside in for patients who struggle to get outside. Give patients the opportunity to watch local wildlife in the Tiny Healthy Forest.
- Pollinator Workshops. Host workshops on the importance of pollinators and how to attract them, including building bee hotels and planting wildflowers.
- Educational Tours. Conduct guided tours focusing on the wildlife and plant species.
The therapeutic benefits of gardening and interacting with nature are well documented. Horticultural therapy, which involves gardening activities as a therapeutic intervention, has been shown to improve mental and physical health, particularly in patients with chronic illnesses and mental health conditions. Tiny Healthy Forests can be integrated into therapeutic programmes.
5. Environmental and Sustainability Benefits
Research indicates that the Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) of people can be reduced by 7-15°C by tree shade. Tiny Healthy Forests, with their dense canopy, can significantly reduce local temperatures, creating a cooler and more comfortable environment for patients, staff and visitors. Beyond human health, Tiny Forests also offer substantial environmental benefits by
- contributing to carbon sequestration. Trees help to mitigate climate change and enhance local biodiversity by providing habitats and a food source.
- playing a role in urban flood management. Trees’ complex root systems improve soil structure. This enhances their ability to absorb and retain water, thereby reducing surface runoff and the risk of urban flooding. This is particularly beneficial in urban areas where water-resistant materials prevail.
- improving air quality. Trees do this by absorbing pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. The density of Tiny Healthy Forests is particularly effective at trapping airborne particles, which can otherwise contribute to respiratory problems and other health issues. Improved air quality within NHS settings can directly benefit patients with respiratory conditions and contribute to overall public health.
Planting a Tiny Healthy Forest
Implementing these miniature forests could be a powerful tool for creating healthier, more resilient communities. As the NHS continues to seek innovative solutions to improve patient care and staff wellbeing, the integration of Tiny Healthy Forests stands out as a promising and impactful strategy.
A Tiny Healthy Forest will not only improve the immediate environment but also contribute to broader public health and environmental goals. We only have six available this season apply now & attend our Drop-in with Earthwatch (our Tiny Forest partner) on 5 September to ask your questions. Any other queries email: harriet.white@sustainablehealthcare.org.uk