Tolka River Project Tiny Forest

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Dublin (FUA)

Region

Europe

Short description of the intervention

MINI Ireland, in collaboration with conservation charity Earthwatch Europe, has launched Ireland's first "Tiny Forest" at the Tolka River Project, a community-driven rehabilitation program in Co. Dublin. In a space the size of a tennis court (195m²), nearly 600 native trees have been planted, creating a densely packed, environmentally efficient green area.
This partnership with Earthwatch aims to raise awareness for local environmental projects and foster community bonds. Green spaces like this offer valuable areas for people to connect with nature, exercise, unwind, and reduce stress—one reason the Tolka River Project center was chosen as an ideal location. "Tiny Forests" are remarkable for their impressive efficiency within a small footprint: by planting 600 native trees closely together, the forest grows naturally with increased density, achieving up to 30% more plant density, ten times faster growth, and up to thirty times better carbon dioxide absorption. Over the next three years, this forest is expected to attract more than 500 animal and plant species, transforming into an accessible mini-ecosystem.
The project uses a variety of locally sourced native trees, including silver birch, alder, hazel, hawthorn, and gorse, which together will form the natural layers of a forest. Ireland's first Tiny Forest was planted on March 22, 2023, at the Tolka River Project site in Dublin's Buzzardstown area. The Tiny Forest, located near the center, will serve as a space for reflection and recovery, supporting clients on their journey to rehabilitation. The planting event was a day of celebration, with Tolka River Project clients and MINI Ireland staff working side-by-side to create this thriving green space.. The space is utilized to create recovery-focused programs, including mindfulness and yoga, while functioning as a social gathering area (7).

Website of the intervention

https://www.mini.ie/en_IE/home/news/irelands-first-tiny-forest.html

Principal problems

Environmental Degradation

Biodiversity loss

Deforestation and forest degradation

Land use and Socio-economic change

Rapid urbanization

Implementation area characterization

Climate

Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter)

Ecosystem

Temperate forests

Address

112 Castlecurragh Vale, Buzzardstown
Dublin
D15 X9Y4
Ireland

Location

The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).

Area boundary (map-based)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

Source: https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4036974,-6.3860996,284m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkyOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Total area

195.00m²

NBS area

195.00m²

Area description

Periurban (both urban and rural environments are present)

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Public Greenspace Area

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2023

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2023

End date of the intervention

2023

Present stage of the intervention

Completed

2. Objectives of the intervention

Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

To enhance biodiversity and ecosystem health through the creation of rich habitats for diverse species.
To improve carbon absorption by planting dense, native tree populations that sequester carbon efficiently.
To provide accessible green spaces that encourage education, exercise, relaxation, and recreation
To offer opportunities for community engagement through citizen science, volunteering, and collaborative efforts to monitor and understand the environmental and social impacts of Tiny Forests in diverse urban settings.
To contribute to urban resilience by helping manage flood risks, reducing urban heat, and enhancing soil permeability to better handle extreme rainfall.
To create and conserve habitats within urban green spaces, providing essential nesting areas, food sources, and migration pathways for local wildlife.
To raise awareness of local environmental projects that enhance the community’s connection to nature.
To strengthen community bonds by engaging residents in environmental initiatives and shared green spaces. (1-7)

Key Priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)

Social Justice and community

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)

Climate change adaptation

Climate change mitigation

Environmental quality

Soil quality improvement

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Green space creation and/or management

Habitat and biodiversity restoration

Habitat and biodiversity conservation

Water management (SDG 6)

Flood protection

Stormwater and rainfall management and storage

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Creation of opportunities for recreation

Enabling opportunities for physical activity

Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)

Inclusive governance

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Environmental education

Sense of community and community engagement

Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect

Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater

Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)

Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential

Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Species-focused

Ecosystem-focused

Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Protect and enhance urban habitats

Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems

Create new habitats

Protect species

Undertake specific measures to protect species

Undertake specific measures to protect endangered species

Means for conservation governance

Biodiversity offsets

Raise public awareness

Public engagement

What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Species-focused

What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?

Restore endangered species

Public engagement

Implementation activities and NBS focus

Implementation activities

Planting of 600 indigenous trees, including species such as Silver Birch, Alder, Hazel, Hawthorn, and Gorse. The Tiny Forest is designed to create a natural forest environment, attracting more than 500 animal and plant species within three years, thus fostering biodiversity and contributing to the local ecosystem. Local community members, including residents of Mulhuddart and clients from the Tolka River Project, were actively involved in the planting process. Earthwatch will monitor data over the coming years, focusing on carbon absorption, thermal comfort, biodiversity, and social benefits. The Tiny Forest initiative also aims to provide the community with opportunities to learn about environmental sustainability, connecting both young and old with nature (1). Additionally, the community is engaged through the Tree Keeper volunteer program, which encourages local residents to take an active role in maintaining the Tiny Forest. Volunteers can choose from a range of activities, such as weeding, litter picking, community outreach to inspire others to participate, and conducting citizen science by tracking butterflies and measuring tree growth (7).

Type of NBS project

Maintenance and management of urban nature

Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees

Ecological restoration of ecosystems

Soil remediation and revegetation

Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Educational and awareness raising programs

Improved governance of green or blue areas

Creation of new, innovative governance and management approaches

Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity

Citizen science and monitoring initiatives (e.g. species observations, habitat assessments, and data collection efforts)

Species-specific monitoring and conservation programs

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Parks and urban forests

Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Amenities offered by the NBS

Unknown

Design elements for well-being

Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation)

Auditory elements (e.g., birdsong, water features, quiet areas, rustling leaves)

Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells)

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Regulating services

Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)

Carbon storage/sequestration

Flood regulation

Pollination

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Cultural services

Recreation

Mental and physical health and wellbeing

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals

Social and community interactions

Scale

Spatial scale

Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level

Beneficiaries

Demographics in implementation area

The unemployment rate in Fingal matched the national average of 5.1% in 2022, down from 7.9% in 2016. The area is ethnically diverse, with non-Irish nationals making up 18% of the population in 2016. In the same year, Fingal was the second most affluent local authority in Ireland, with a relative HP index score of 5.32, rising from 5.1 in 2011 and 4.6 in 2006 (4).

Socio-economic profile of the area

High-income

Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts

Unknown

Non-government actors

Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches

Private sector/Corporate/Business

Citizens or community groups

Primary Beneficiaries

Non-government organisation/Civil Society

Private sector/Corporate/Company

Citizens or community groups

Specify primary beneficiaries

The local community, including residents of Mulhuddart and clients from the Tolka River Project, are actively involved in the project and benefit from the new green space. Earthwatch Europe, the conservation charity partnering with MINI Ireland, benefits from promoting environmental awareness and data collection on topics such as carbon absorption and biodiversity. MINI Ireland brings to life its "Big Love Strategy" focused on sustainability and community engagement.

Marginalized groups

Unknown

Other beneficiaries

Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators)

Endangered species (flora and fauna)

Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification)

City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality)

Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress)

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Led by non-government actors

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

Earthwatch Europe, a conservation charity, is a key actor, responsible for coordinating the initiative and scientific monitoring. MINI Ireland, the private sector partner, supports the initiative through funding and promoting sustainability efforts as part of its "Big Love Strategy." Local residents and clients from the Tolka River Project were actively involved in the tree-planting process (1). Currently, the community is engaged through the Tree Keeper volunteer program, which invites local residents to actively support the Tiny Forest. Volunteers can choose from various activities, such as maintenance, community engagement, and scientific monitoring (7).

Key actors - initiating organization

Non-government organisation/civil society

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Citizens or community group

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Stages of citizen and community engagement

On-the-ground implementation

Monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes

Level of citizen and community engagement

Limited

Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives

Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings

Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project

Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)

Dissemination of information and education

Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Citizen science

Citizen monitoring and review

Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")

Unknown

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Unknown

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Voluntary (spontaneous)

Enablers & Barriers

Type of enablers

NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation

Governace and decison-making instruments

Public - community agreement (e.g. citizen science programs; citizen assemblies)

Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs)

Arrangements for governance cooperation

Performance monitoring and evaluation frameworks (e.g. adoption of KPIs, or establishment or monitoring and evaluation processes)

Barriers

Unknown

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Please specify total cost (EUR)

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

Corporate investment

Type of fund(s) used

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Yes

Who provided the non-financial contribution?

Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Type of non-financial contribution

Provision of labour

Provision of expertise

Co-finance for NBS

Entrepreneurship opportunities

Business models

Risk reduction model

Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)

Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)

5. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Climate change

Lowered local temperature

Expected lowered local temperature

Enhanced carbon sequestration

Expected enhanced carbon sequestration

Environmental quality

Improved soil quality

Expected improved soil quality

Water management and blue areas

Increased protection against flooding

Expected increased protection against flooding

Improved stormwater management

Expected improved stormwater management

Green space and habitat

Reduced biodiversity loss

Expected reduced biodiversity loss

Increased number of species present

Expected increased number of species present

Enhanced support of pollination

Expected enhanced support of pollination

Description of environmental benefits

--Expected lowered local temperature: "We found that in the taller Tiny Forest (with standard soil preparation (1m deep))
the air temperature was on average 6oC cooler (30.27oC) inside the Tiny Forest than outside (36.41oC), similarly humidity
was higher in the middle (52%) of the Tiny Forest than outside (39%). These are the cooling effects that we would expect to see from canopy shading and transpiration (water loss from leaves). " (Ref. 5)
-Enhanced carbon sequestration: "Up to ten times faster growth and up to thirty times better absorption of carbon dioxide." (Ref. 1); "While each Tiny Forest may only make a small contribution to the climate crisis in terms of absolute carbon stored, the rate of forest development and the cumulative impact of all forests shows the power of the Tiny Forest network." (Ref. 5)
-Improved soil quality: "Perforators, water retainers, fertilisers, microorganisms, and other biomass types were added to the extracted soil, everything needed for the plant roots to grow quickly. The much-improved soil was then returned to the site." (Ref. 6)
--Expected increased protection against flooding/-Expected improved stormwater management: "All urban trees play a role in the water cycle and provide flood management services. Tree leaves, branches and trunks catch rainwater as it’s falling, slowing the rain reaching the ground. Tree roots help water penetrate deeper into the soil at a faster rate, reducing surface run-off and storing more water in the soil." (Ref. 5)
-Reduced biodiversity loss: "will collect a lot of data in the “Tiny Forest” over the coming years to learn more about topics such as carbon absorption, thermal comfort, biodiversity." (Ref. 2)
-Increased number of species present: "600 indigenous trees are planted especially close to each other on the area of a tennis court and allowed to grow in a completely natural way." (Ref. 1); "Species Planted in the Forest:Alder(Alnus glutinosa) | Birch, downy(Betula pubescens) | Birch, silver(Betula pendula) | Blackthorn(Prunus spinosa) | Broom(Cytisus scoparius) | Cherry, wild(Prunus avium) | Dog Rose(Rosa canina) | Elm, wych(Ulmus glabra) | Guelder, rose(Viburnum opulus) | Hawthorn(Crataegus monogyna) | Hazel(Corylus avellana) | Holly(Ilex aquifolium) | Oak, sessile(Quercus petraea) | Pine, scots(Pinus sylvestris) | Rowan(Sorbus aucuparia) | Spindle(Euonymus europaea)" (Ref. 7)
-Enhanced support of pollination: "4 Pollinators Timed Count." (Ref. 7)

Environmental impact indicators

Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced

600

Total number of bird species re-introduced, rediscovered or monitored

Total area of habitat restored (in ha)

200

Carbon storage (kg carbon/m2)

196

Economic impacts

Unknown

Description of economic benefits

Unknown

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Yes

Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts

Non-government organisation/civil society

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Type of indicators

Input indicators

Output indicators

Progress indicators

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

Yes

Link to monitoring/evaluation reports

https://tinyforest.earthwatch.org.uk/images/documents/Tiny-Forest-Monitoring-Re…

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

Yes

Link to a web-based monitoring tool

https://tinyforest.earthwatch.org.uk/tiny-forest-sites/360-ireland

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

Unknown

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Cost-benefit analysis

Unknown

Transparency

Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.)

Clear communication channels for stakeholders to provide feedback, raise concerns, and ask questions about the project

Online disclosure of technical reports (e.g. project documents, reports, or data)

Justice

Community satisfaction

Unknown

Description of locals satisfaction with the project

Unknown

Trade-offs & Negative impacts

Unknown

Please specify Trade-offs & Negative impacts Selected

Unknown

Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement

No initiatives or policies were implemented

High-quality & Transformative NBS

Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)

Yes

Goal setting and impacts delivery

Yes, from the planning phase the project aimed to address issues in these three key priority areas and it also delivered benefits across these three areas.

Reaching original project goals

Most of the project goals were achieved

Please specify the achievements of the project goals

Climate action and biodiversity:
--Expected lowered local temperature: "We found that in the taller Tiny Forest (with standard soil preparation (1m deep))
the air temperature was on average 6oC cooler (30.27oC) inside the Tiny Forest than outside (36.41oC), similarly humidity
was higher in the middle (52%) of the Tiny Forest than outside (39%). These are the cooling effects that we would expect to see from canopy shading and transpiration (water loss from leaves). " (Ref. 5)
-Enhanced carbon sequestration: "Up to ten times faster growth and up to thirty times better absorption of carbon dioxide." (Ref. 1); "While each Tiny Forest may only make a small contribution to the climate crisis in terms of absolute carbon stored, the rate of forest development and the cumulative impact of all forests shows the power of the Tiny Forest network." (Ref. 5)
-Improved soil quality: "Perforators, water retainers, fertilisers, microorganisms, and other biomass types were added to the extracted soil, everything needed for the plant roots to grow quickly. The much-improved soil was then returned to the site." (Ref. 6)
--Expected increased protection against flooding/-Expected improved stormwater management: "All urban trees play a role in the water cycle and provide flood management services. Tree leaves, branches and trunks catch rainwater as it’s falling, slowing the rain reaching the ground. Tree roots help water penetrate deeper into the soil at a faster rate, reducing surface run-off and storing more water in the soil." (Ref. 5)
-Reduced biodiversity loss: "will collect a lot of data in the “Tiny Forest” over the coming years to learn more about topics such as carbon absorption, thermal comfort, biodiversity." (Ref. 2)
-Increased number of species present: "600 indigenous trees are planted especially close to each other on the area of a tennis court and allowed to grow in a completely natural way." (Ref. 1); "Species Planted in the Forest:Alder(Alnus glutinosa) | Birch, downy(Betula pubescens) | Birch, silver(Betula pendula) | Blackthorn(Prunus spinosa) | Broom(Cytisus scoparius) | Cherry, wild(Prunus avium) | Dog Rose(Rosa canina) | Elm, wych(Ulmus glabra) | Guelder, rose(Viburnum opulus) | Hawthorn(Crataegus monogyna) | Hazel(Corylus avellana) | Holly(Ilex aquifolium) | Oak, sessile(Quercus petraea) | Pine, scots(Pinus sylvestris) | Rowan(Sorbus aucuparia) | Spindle(Euonymus europaea)" (Ref. 7)
-Enhanced support of pollination: "4 Pollinators Timed Count." (Ref. 7)
Social justice and community:
-Increased opportunities for social interaction: ". We plan on using this space to develop recovery based programmes such as mindfulness, yoga in addition to using it as a social space." (Ref. 7)
-Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: "Want to care for nature, connect with your community, and expand your skills? Support this Tiny Forest by becoming a volunteer Tree Keeper." (Ref. 7)
-Improved physical health: "There is growing evidence that trees improve mental and physical health. The positive impacts of daily doses of nature for boosting health and wellbeing has been estimated to save the NHS millions of pounds every year." (Ref. 5, p. 15)
-Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "Connecting people with the natural world." (Ref. 1)

Long-term perspective

Yes

Cost-effective solutions

Unknown

Equitable impacts

A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project

Transformative capacity

Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them)

Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution)

Magnitude of change

Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation

Application of lessons learned