MINI is celebrating the importance of small spaces in driving change by collaborating with James Stewart, one of the UK’s most prominent broadcasters in science and sustainability to showcase the benefits of Tiny Forests.
Nominated by Harvard University as a 'climate creator to watch', James shared his experience exploring three Tiny Forests, using just a single charge of a MINI Countryman Electric – capable of travelling up to 287 miles* (*WLTP combined) – to travel between sites.
All three mini spaces James visited were planted as part of MINI UK’s partnership with Earthwatch Europe, with each made up of over 600 densely planted trees in the space the size of a tennis court. With the first planting in 2021, James went to see one site in Newbury and two forests near key manufacturing locations: MINI Plant Oxford and BMW Group Plant Swindon.
With up to 1,390 litres of boot capacity to utilise in the MINI Countryman Electric for gardening equipment, James highlights the importance of nature, sustainability, and wildlife preservation through his journey, while measuring how much the saplings at each location have grown since their plantings.
Following his trip, James said, “I loved exploring these tiny forests - nature should be for everyone and they're fact they're so accessible for their communities is brilliant! We've never needed nature more than we do today, and understanding these brilliant ecosystems through citizen science is the perfect gateway into that connection with our planet.”
Together, the 14 Tiny Forest sites planted by MINI equate to a combined area of 2,844 square metres – creating just over five professional basketball courts of new greenery. Each tennis-court sized forest is estimated to attract 500 new animal and plant species, with each site helping to bring the benefits of woodland right into the heart of our cities and urban spaces.
Planted between 2021 and 2023, over 1,600 volunteers - including school children, university students, councillors, hospital staff and members of the local communities - helped bring each forest to life by donating their time. As the tiny spaces continue to grow, each sites progress and impact will be continually monitored by MINI and Earthwatch Europe, helping to understand their social, environmental, and wellbeing implications.
To watch James' adventure, please click here.
For more information about MINI, visit mini.co.uk, and for more information on Tiny Forests, click here.
BMW Group PressClub UK
