News

Green fingers are at the ready at six schools across the West Midlands as they prepare to team up with Severn Trent to plant Tiny Forests in celebration of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games next week, supported by environmental charity Earthwatch Europe.  

The six Tiny Forests sites being planted next week will be located at Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School and Moseley Primary School in Coventry, Northleigh House School in Warwick, St Anne’s Catholic Academy in Nuneaton, Silkmore Primary Academy in Stafford and Heart of Worcestershire College in Bromsgrove.  

Around 3,600 trees in total are set to be planted across the six sites with the support of Earthwatch Europe. Each site will become a nature-rich accessible green space and an inspiring outdoor classroom for people to reconnect with nature.   

As Birmingham 2022’s Official Nature & Carbon Neutral Supporter, Severn Trent is creating 72 tennis-court-sized Tiny Forests across the region, one for each of the nations and territories competing in the Games. The sites will help to deliver a lasting legacy for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games as well as boosting access to green space in urban areas, supporting environmental education and increasing regional resilience against environmental issues such as flooding, heat stress and nature loss.   

Severn Trent’s Forest Delivery Manager, Ricky Dallow, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be planting these Severn Trent Tiny Forests at schools across the West Midlands. As a company that takes care of one of life’s essentials, we’re really passionate about making a positive impact on the communities and the environment where we live and work and these Tiny Forests are going to be a real asset to the West Midlands.   

“Tiny Forests might be small, but their impact will be mighty, not only will they help to deliver a lasting legacy for the Games but they will also create inspiring outdoor classrooms allowing children to learn first-hand about nature and the environment.”  

Peter Robinson, Vice Principal – Curriculum and Standards and Chair of the Eco Group at HoW College said: “We’re delighted to be hosting a Severn Trent Tiny Forest, in recognition of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. It’s incredibly exciting to have one of these tiny but super powerful forests right here at HoW College and we hope this forest will give more people, schools and community groups access to green spaces, right here on their doorstep, as well as leaving a legacy for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”  

Charlotte Chase, Forest School Lead for Silkmore Primary Academy said: “We are delighted to be a part of such a brilliant venture. Involving the children in being such a huge part of a lasting legacy and a venture they can talk about for a long time to come is a huge honour.  

“We are looking forward to getting outdoors and having a day connecting with nature and learning all about our environment. We are really proud to be working with Severn Trent for this project and can’t wait to see the results.” 

Zoe Stanbridge, of Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, said: “We’re delighted to host one of the Severn Trent Tiny Forests at our school. Each Tiny Forest is dedicated to a nation competing at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and ours at Corpus Christi is New Zealand. 

“We can’t wait to see the trees grow and our Tiny Forest take shape. It is a fantastic asset which will provide an enriching learning environment for our children where they can take inspiration from nature and the outdoors.”  

Katie Dronfield, Arts Coordinator at Moseley Primary School said: “We are proud to be part of the lasting legacy of the Commonwealth Games and are excited that our pupils, families, and our community can come together to explore, nurture and appreciate the local environment.” 

Rebecca Thorneycroft, Chair of the Green Team at St Anne’s Catholic Academy, Nuneaton, said: “We are extremely proud to have been chosen as a site for one of Severn Trent’s Tiny Forests.  

“As a school, we are committed to promoting a sustainable future for our children. The opportunity to combine this with the creation of an exciting outside learning area, will help to inspire environmental awareness in our school community for generations to come.” 

Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader, Coventry City Council, said: "This is a fantastic project delivered by Severn Trent, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the selected schools. I am especially proud of the two Coventry schools that were selected to take part. 

"I'm really pleased to see that we are already looking at the legacy of this major sporting event and how education, sustainability and culture have been incorporated into this. 

"I look forward to seeing the results after the Tiny Forest plantings take place next week" 

Jessica Fidler, Head of Sustainability, Birmingham 2022 said: “Tiny Forests help young people learn about the environment and sustainability in an interactive and accessible way. Birmingham 2022 is more than 11 days of sport and it’s important we leave a positive social and environmental legacy for generations to come. This Tiny Forest will help connect the local community with green spaces and show them how to connect with nature and protect it for many years.”  

Earthwatch Europe, the environmental charity pioneering the Tiny Forest movement in the UK, is supporting Severn Trent in the delivery of the Tiny Forests, which can attract over 500 animal and plant species within the first three years of planting.     

Hannah Davidson, Tiny Forest Programme Manager at Earthwatch said: “We are delighted to be working with Severn Trent to connect so many schools and communities across the West Midlands with nature.”  

The trees planted will also form part of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the UK to "Plant a Tree for the Jubilee".  

Information on volunteering for upcoming community planting days across the region can be found here.