News

• 600 trees planted across the tennis-court-sized space at reservoir in Coleshill, Warwickshire

• Tiny Forest dedicated to Dame Angela Strank in recognition of her services to sustainability

• Site to play an important role in leaving an environmental legacy following Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Severn Trent volunteers and the local community joined forces at Shustoke Reservoir to plant a Tiny Forest in celebration of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Tuesday saw 600 trees planted at the Coleshill site, with the forest also being dedicated to Dame Angela Strank in recognition of her service to the Severn Trent Board and as Chair of the Corporate Sustainability Committee – she stepped down from her role in March after being appointed in January 2014. 

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 initiative, supported by environmental charity Earthwatch Europe, has seen 69 Tiny Forests planted so far across the Midlands region.

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.  

Dame Angela brought a wealth of strategic, technical and commercial experience to the Severn Trent Board, previously in the role of Chief Scientist and Head of Downstream Technology at BP Plc. She has held many senior and executive leadership roles around the world in business development, commercial, finance and technology.

In 2010, Angela was the winner of the UK First Woman’s Award in Science and Technology, recognising pioneering UK women in business and industry, and in 2017 she won the prestigious Energy Institute’s Cadman Award for outstanding contribution to the oil and gas industry. In June 2017, Angela was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List with the title Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (‘DBE’) for services to the Oil and Gas Industry and encouraging women into STEM careers.  

Dame Angela said: “Severn Trent’s involvement in planting 72 Tiny Forests and 2,022 acres of Commonwealth Forest across the region is evidence of the company’s enduring passion and commitment to making a positive impact on the communities and the environment in which we live and work.

“It’s a wonderful and unexpected honour to have a Tiny Forest dedicated to me and a great legacy for others to enjoy for years to come at one of the company’s fantastic visitor sites – it’s been a lovely day of planting and it’s great to see Severn Trent volunteers and the local community enjoying a special day together.”

Jess Fidler, Head of Sustainability at Birmingham 2022 said: “Part of our sustainability pledge was to leave a positive social and environmental legacy of sustainability for generations to come. It’s amazing to see that the Tiny Forest planted at Shustoke Reservoir will not only provide a nature-rich green space but is also dedicated to Dame Angela Strank who has worked actively in sustainability and climate science research.

“The Tiny Forest initiative is part of a wider plan to encourage more sustainable behaviours and we are committed to working in partnership across our region and will share our learnings with future events.”

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.     

Maria Pontes, Programmes and Partnerships Director at Earthwatch said: “This partnership with Severn Trent is hugely exciting for Earthwatch. Tiny Forest – and the work we do alongside it to inspire school children through outdoor education – offers exciting ways of bringing communities together and connecting thousands of people with the nature on their doorstep. We are delighted to play a role in building this legacy of environmental sustainability in the Midlands.”

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