Our Tiny Forest idea was still germinating, but would the idea shoot and grow into something real? Would we be granted formal permission from the council? Where would our site be? Would the soil be suitable? Would residents be happy? With all these aspects hanging in the balance, and with a mixture or hope and determination pushing us like shoots moving towards light, we agreed to a photo shoot to capture our emerging idea for Friends of the Earth to use at their meeting. We anticipated these photos could be used for articles, as well as for our Blog. Sarah-Jane Egan, local designer (Fragment Designs) agreed to take the photo for us.
We decided the photo shoot would be at the site most favorable with the council Ecologist and Parks Manager, in an a rather neglected part of the park, with good light and a water source nearby. This site also had the potential to offset a lot of carbon from Mill Road and Nant Garw Road.
Here is a conversation between Kirsty Luff Communications Officer at Friends of the Earth Cymru, who is one of the local volunteers working on the Tiny Forest with Climate Action Caerphilly. We chatted at a 2 metre distance on our walk to the site of the photo shoot.
Lynn : You said the photos are for a Friends of the Earth meeting? Friends of the Earth seem to support the Tiny Forest idea for the park?
Kirsty: Yes, definitely! Tiny forests are great! They really benefit the local environment, don’t they? I think trees and forests are like nature’s medicine. They provide a home for wildlife, absorb damaging greenhouse gases, and soak up excess rainwater.
Lynn: Yeah, and don’t we need that in Caerphilly?! So much rain and so many houses!
Kirsty: Yep, that’s why Morgan Jones Park, Caerphilly is the perfect place for this Tiny Forest. It’s flooded several times over the past year, and it’s such a shame when this happens, because our children can’t play here.
Lynn: Yes, and kids will love this Tiny Forest. We want them to be very much part of this, helping to plant it, learn about it, enjoy walking through it, participating in Citizen Scientist projects...
Kirsty: Nature is so healing, isn’t it? Being outdoors boosts our mood and helps us deal with stress. Kids are having such a tough time in Lockdown, so giving them opportunities to play outside is vital. I would love to see kids helping to create the Tiny Forest and spotting all the fabulous wildlife in it. My daughter, especially when she was younger, was fascinated with mini beasts. She used to spend hours in our garden with a magnifying glass! She would love to get involved in a Citizen Science research project.
Lynn: My son and daughter are still fascinated! They would love to get involved. Yes, I have read and personally experienced how important nature is for physical and mental well-being and, with the pandemic, it’s become even more important in helping people connect safely to the outdoors in beautiful spaces.
Kirsty: Yep, so many benefits. The tiny forest will hopefully become a space where people can connect with each other in nature and for volunteering. There will be an opportunities for local people to become forest guardians, an experience that could help them gain employment in the future. So, there are many reasons why Caerphilly will benefit from this tiny forest. Now we need to make it happen!
Lynn: and we will!