We are researching!
Whether for children in a day-care centre, a school class or local citizens: From the moment it is planted, the Tiny Forest serves as a real-life laboratory in which the development of a forest ecosystem can be experienced at first hand. In the spirit of citizen science, people can use simple tools to document the growth of the trees, for example, or identify the insects and birds that inhabit the mini forest.
Monitoring
We document exactly how our Tiny Forests are developing. We measure the growth of the trees at regular intervals, count and identify insects and research the microbiological activity of the soil. In this way, we want to analyse the ecological effectiveness of the Tiny Forests and further develop the method based on our findings. We design all monitoring methods in such a way that everyone is able to apply them themselves and become a scientist!
Research papers
In cooperation with the HNE Eberswalde, we are also researching the social and ecological potential of Tiny Forests as part of theses and a specialisation module. For example, our project sites are to be equipped with measuring sensors in order to collect long-term data on their influence on the local climate and their C02 sequestration. We are proud to announce that three theses on the topic of Tiny Forests have already been published in our young organisation's history:
Article
Wald der Vielfalt – der erste „Tiny Forest“
Steingässer, L. & Scharfe, S. (2020, 18. Juni). Brandenburgs. Earth System Knowledge Platform [www.eskp.de], 7. doi:10.2312/eskp.030
Gaia und die Tiny Forests
Kleine Wälder als Beitrag zum Erhalt der Biosphäre.
Scharfe (2022)
Integration of New Technologies in Tiny Forests: Personal Laser Scanner Case Study
Bülbül R., & Scharfe S. (2022).
Kooperation HNE Eberswalde, IT4Forests & MIYA e.V.
Further research projects
Forest conversion
In cooperation with Freiwald e.V., we are also planning to use the Miyawaki method in forest conversion. A pilot project was launched in 2021 on a 2-hectare area near Lübben (Brandenburg), which we will continue in the following years. This involves planting young deciduous trees in dense plantings on small plots within a pine monoculture, one by one.
You can find more information about the project here:
