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Green fingers were at the ready at Chadsgrove School today as Severn Trent engineers joined in the planting fun with pupils to plant a Tiny Forest.

The 600-tree Tiny Forest, planted in celebration of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, is the second to be planted in Bromsgrove as part of a project that has seen 58 Tiny Forests planted at sites across the Midlands so far. 

As Birmingham 2022’s Official Nature & Carbon Neutral Supporter, Severn Trent is creating 72 of the tennis-court-sized Tiny Forests across the region, one for each of the nations and territories competing in the Games. This project is supported by environmental charity Earthwatch Europe.

In July 2021, Severn Trent’s Trunk Main Team was working on a pipe laying scheme near to Chadsgrove School in Bromsgrove and liaised with the school to let them know about the project. 

Children from the school were invited to create a sticker with their names on which was then stuck onto the pipe before it went into the ground. The Severn Trent team also mentioned about the Tiny Forest project which was open to schools and community groups to apply for and Chadsgrove school jumped at the chance to get involved. Ten of Severn Trent’s Trunk Main Team today returned to the school to help Chadsgrove school to plant the Tiny Forest.

Kevin Hatch, Trunk Main Manager at Severn Trent, said: “The school have been so excited to get involved with the Tiny Forest project and it’s been great to see the children enjoy the day and plant the trees.

“We’ve also had some help from the community with police officers and councillors all getting involved. It will be so special for the children to see these trees grow in the future.

“It’s also been great from a customer interaction perspective – this is something we really care about at Severn Trent and it’s is a great example of how we like to work across our region. It’s great to get our customers involved in what we do.”

Deb Rattley, Headteacher at Chadsgrove School, said: “We are delighted to be able to host a Tiny Forest and we thank Severn Trent for this opportunity. Here at Chadsgrove our aim is to prepare all of our pupils for life beyond school, the Tiny Forest project will help our children embed some of the skills needed for adulthood, such as problem solving, creativity, leadership and teamwork. The Tiny Forest is a whole school project that all of our learners will be able to enjoy for years to come.”

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.

Jessica Fidler, Head of Sustainability, Birmingham 2022 said: “Forests help children and young people learn about the environment and sustainability in a really accessible way. They are a great way to help connect children with their local green spaces and show them how they can protect it for future generations and limit their impact on the planet.”

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.     

Louise Hartley, Senior Programme Manager at Earthwatch Europe, said: “Tiny Forests provide rich opportunities for connecting people with the environment and sustainability on their doorstep.  It’s vital that we give people the knowledge and skills to protect our natural world and inspire them to take positive action. We are delighted to be working with Severn Trent to bring these opportunities to Chadsgrove School, and communities across the region.” 

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