SUGi

🇹🇭 Celebrating 2 years at Ancestral Forest: a forest stretching over 1.5 hec with 19,500 Trees, 46 Native species. Creating a multi-sensory journey for visitors: providing sounds, smells, and sights of the natural world as they wander. Designed with peaceful meditative areas, buildings, and art installations blend into the forest to allow immersion, deepening the connection between people and nature. Ancestral Forest is the product of SUGi x Wonderfruit's first collaboration inspired by Wonderfruit Festival’s guiding principles of catalyzing positive impact through curiosity and creativity at the connection point of art and nature. Based on Khao Khieo the last remaining area of primary forest in the Thai district of Chonburi. Now protected, it was once an area of vast wilderness, formed from several different types of forest, from the lowland tropical to the mountainous cloud forests that cover the two dominant mountains. By using what remains as a reference, Ancestral Forest replicates the ancestry of the region. Forest Maker: James Godfrey-Faussett Forest Patner: Scratch First, Creators of Wonderfruit

🌳Did you know that pocket forests can do the work of a 200-year-old forest in just two decades? Pocket forests are dense, multi-strata forests that can mature in as little as 20 years. Using a diverse mix of native saplings, these forests create biodiverse ecosystems that allow flora and fauna to thrive. This variety makes these habitats more resilient, supporting an interconnected web of life. Compared to single-strata mono plantations, pocket forests bring with them a wealth of benefits. Perhaps the most exciting? They climax in just a few decades, meaning they boast the environmental and ecological advantages of primordial forests in a fraction of the time. Learn more about the multi benefits in this case study by Prof. Akira Miyawaki: https://lnkd.in/etT_gehm

SUGi Talks Moments 🌿EP.09 with Cecil Konijnendijk: How Nature-based Solutions & urban trees can tackle our cities' growing issues. Our cities are in trouble and it’s not just the climate crisis. Urban areas are facing multiple interconnected challenges, including the ecological crisis, the human health crisis, and the climate crisis. In this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak to Cecil about how Nature-based Solutions, like our SUGi Pocket Forests, can help mitigate the growing issues in our cities. With over 30 years of experience studying, teaching and advising with the likes of the United Nations on urban forestry and the implementation of Nature-based Solutions, Cecil is passionate about using trees to develop better cities and always stresses the importance of building meaningful relationships between people and places. Together we uncover the barriers and challenges in implementing equitable green strategies in cities, and why it is so important. Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/e5MK26ga

🇫🇷 From scorching courtyard to green oasis, students in Rion des Landes are transforming their school grounds. This college already had many outdoor spaces, but nature was lacking. The courtyard in particular is exposed to full sun, which meant that students had few shaded areas to choose from in the summer months. Enter the SUGi Pocket Forest. Alongside students, teachers, and families, we used the Miyawaki method to plant 29 native species. Participants not only learned the importance of cultivating environmental values, but also acquired the skills needed to create a forest. We trained students how to sustain and monitor the forest, providing them a learning opportunity that had the added benefit of improving their wellbeing. The Rion Des Landes College project has already positively impacted the daily lives of the 110 students, and we hope it will continue to be a source of joy for the entire school community as it grows. Forest Makers: Noélie at Mini Big Forest and Mini Big Forest Aquitaine Forest Partner: Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT) Photography: Léo Coulongeat

Did you know that at heart of every thriving forest lies a dynamic process known as Forest Succession? It's nature's way of healing, renewing, and evolving over time, creating a rich tapestry of life that supports biodiversity, climate resilience, and community wellbeing. Forest succession is the gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time. It's a journey from a barren landscape to a mature, biodiverse forest, filled with intricate layers of life. This natural progression can be divided into several stages, each playing a crucial role in building a resilient and thriving ecosystem. 1️⃣ Pioneer Stage: After a disturbance like a fire or human activity, the land is often left bare. Here, hardy pioneer species such as grasses and shrubs take root. These resilient plants are the first to colonize the area, stabilizing the soil and creating a foundation for future growth. 2️⃣ Intermediate Stage: As the pioneers prepare the ground, they pave the way for a more diverse array of plants. Small trees and shrubs begin to grow, creating a more complex structure. This stage sees increased biodiversity as various species of plants, insects, and animals find their niche. 3️⃣ Mature Forest: The ecosystem reaches its climax community, a stable and diverse forest. Large trees dominate the landscape, creating a canopy that supports a wide variety of life beneath. This mature forest is a model of biodiversity, resilience, and beauty, embodying the full potential of nature's healing power. 🌿 SUGi’s Role in Forest Succession 🌿 We harness the principles of forest succession to green cities and reimagine urban life. Our 360-degree approach involves working hand in glove with our Forest Makers to deliver meticulously planned projects that align with nature’s rhythms. 📐 Project Design & Species Selection: We carefully select native species that are well-suited to each stage of succession, ensuring a balanced and thriving ecosystem. 🛠️ Site Preparation & Planting: By preparing the land and planting in harmony with succession stages, we create resilient pocket forests that flourish over time. 🐝 Ongoing Monitoring & Reporting: Our commitment doesn’t end with planting. We continually monitor and nurture our forests, adapting to changes and ensuring long-term health. 👥 Community Engagement: We believe in the power of community. By involving local residents in the process, we foster a deeper connection to nature and a collective sense of stewardship. The Impact of Forest Succession Forest succession is more than just a natural process; it's a pathway to resilience and renewal. By understanding and supporting this journey, we can create urban environments that are not only beautiful but also resilient to climate change, rich in biodiversity, and beneficial to community wellbeing. Learn more about our SUGi Pocket Forests, where succession is taking hold in cities around the world: sugiproject.com

Did you know the UK has its own unique rainforest ecosystems, known as temperate rainforests? These forests grow on the West Coast of the UK along the gulf stream, which provides mild damp conditions ideal for rainforest biodiversity — including unique species of lichen, algae, moss, and ferns — to flourish. Once abundant, there are now only 1% of these special spaces left, making them one of (if not the most) endangered forest ecosystems in the world. Koswik Law is part of an effort to overturn this trend. It’s a pocket of temperate rainforest planted at St Columb Major Academy in Cornwall, UK. Created with 12 native species, it perfectly mimics how an ancient UK temperate rainforest would have formed. The more than 300 pupil school is passionate about promoting biodiversity and uses the forest as a key resource for learning. Today, we’re celebrating 3 years at Koswik Law, a shining example of the layers and diversity found in temperate rainforests. Fun fact: Koswik Law means “Rain Forest” in Cornish dialect. 🇬🇧🏫🌳 Forest Maker: James Godfrey-Faussett

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🌿 A simplified step-by-step look at the Miyawaki method for creating dense, diverse pockets of native forest. 🌱 1. Species selection: When planting a Miyawaki forest, the first step is to identify the native vegetation best suited to the area being planted, termed Potential Natural Vegetation. To establish this, our forest makers do intensive research, often involving the indigenous community. They look to see what is growing locally, in protected areas or ancient old-growth forests. Forests are multi-layered, and as the Miyawaki method mirrors nature, we identify and plant four layers of vegetation, building a resilient green wall of canopy trees, trees, sub-trees and shrubs. We select up to 40 different species to create balance and maximise density. 🧩 2.  Preparing the soil: The second step when planting a Miyawaki forest is soil preparation. Since SUGi focuses on rewilding nature-deprived areas, the soil is often degraded, compacted, waterlogged or bacteria-dominant. However, trees need fungi-dominant, soft and crumbly soil, so their roots can establish faster and have better access to nutrients. Our forest makers work the soil once to restore the missing biology and put it on the path to becoming oxygenated, fertile and self-sustaining. Compost tea is also added to the earth as it’s turned; this contains strains of beneficial fungi (known to interact with the specific tree species) and a stimulant, such as molasses or liquid seaweed, to give the fungi fuel to grow. 🌿 3. Planting the saplings: Once the soil is prepared, SUGi Pocket Forests are planted with the help of the community. We plant three to four saplings per square metre in a random manner that mirrors how natural forests grow. We choose to plant young saplings, as they’re more adaptable and can form symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi in the soil far quicker than an older tree. The denseness of a Miyawaki forest isn’t just great for creating biodiversity... Swipe to read the full post. 🌾 4. Mulching  Once you've planted the saplings, the final step is to apply a compost tea and mulch heavily using straw. The mulch protects the soil and retains moisture. Species such as earthworms, beetles and other insects feed from the top-down, building soil fertility by pulling the mulch into the ground for it to be broken down by microbes. As mulching helps the soil retain moisture, you do not have to do as much watering. The more fertile the soil, the more water it holds. 📐 5. Measure & Maintain Survival rates should always be above 80% and often above 90% - if the projects are carried out properly. Normally after two to three years the forests are 100% self-sustaining and handed over to nature. Discover the over 200 SUGi Pocket Forest around the world: sugiproject.com

🇧🇪 2.5 Year at Car Park Forest in Mechelen, Belgium This SUGi Pocket Forest has rewilded a car park on the edge of Mechelen city and restored a flourishing ecosystem, brimming with biodiversity. This peaceful space serves to support both people and planet. In its former state, the 1500 Sq m area was a generator of pollution, as fumes from gathering cars were expelled into the atmosphere. This has been actively reversed by planting a pocket forest. Using the Miyawaki method and planting only native trees, the site has become a crucial, protected corridor in which wildlife and flora are able to thrive. The forest also enables local residents, including the children visiting a nearby farm and playground, to breathe cleaner air and observe ‘rewilding’ in action. SUGi Forest Makers: Nicolas de Brabandère URBAN FORESTS Herman Janssens Forest Partner: Vittel

Can Nature Slow Time? 🍃⏳ If you’ve felt as if time is speeding up, you’re not alone. Studies have shown that an increasing number of people report feeling short on time. This sensation is exacerbated in urban settings, where our fast-paced, tech-driven lifestyles contribute to what we term as the Urban Time Warp—the palpable sense that time is accelerating. But have you noticed that when you spend time in Nature, whether enjoying an urban green space or walking through an urban forest, the minutes seem to stretch out? Well, recent research by Dr. Ricardo A. Correia suggests that immersing yourself in Nature can indeed expand our perception of time. Time plays a fundamental role in our wellbeing and our continued disconnection from Nature can have a profound impact on how fast our days seem to zip past. This research highlights the crucial ways that Nature can regulate our sense of time, emphasising the importance of urban greening initiatives, such as our urban Pocket Forests, in helping us reconnect with a healthier and slower rhythm of life. 👁️ How do we perceive time? Time perception is subjective and shaped by cognitive processes. Unlike sight or hearing, we don’t have a sensory organ for time, leading to varying experiences. It involves three key aspects: Temporal Succession: Sequence of events Temporal Duration: Estimation of durations Temporal Perspective: Navigating past, present and future Time perception can shift with our emotions, and external factors like stimuli. For example, time feels different when we're engaged in an activity versus feeling anxious or bored.  🌳 Can Nature really slow down time? Studies suggest that Nature can expand our sense of time by altering our temporal perspective, shifting our focus to the present. In one study, participants overestimated the duration of a walk in Nature compared to an urban one. A similar effect was observed for people simply viewing videos of Nature. Likewise, people who spent just six and a half minutes in silence outdoors reported feeling more connected to the present. Being in Nature can also help reduce rumination and encourage a balanced view of past, present, and future. This growing research highlights the potential of Nature in helping us reconnect with a healthier, more expansive sense of time. “Living in cities and everything it entails puts a strain on the processes that influence how we perceive time. In contrast, nature is known to have a restorative effect for humans and may help us to recover a more balanced sense of time.”  — Dr. Ricardo A. Correia ✅ We understand the importance of integrating biodiversity back into our cities. But can restoring native forests in urban areas also help us restore a healthier relationship with time? The answer is: Yes! Written by: Áine Devaney References:  Correia, R. A. (2024). Acknowledging and understanding the contributions of nature to human sense of time. People and Nature, 6(2), 358-366.