NextGen Forests
Greening for Newham’s Next Generation.
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Trees
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Square Meters
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Native Species
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Youth Impacted
This initiative represents a powerful step towards making the London borough of Newham more resilient, sustainable, and vibrant. It targets key locations susceptible to air pollution and flooding, aiming to transform them into healthier, greener, and more dynamic spaces.
By planting pocket forests in the local schools, we hope to show the students the benefits of bringing back biodiversity and trees to increase the long-term climate resiliency of the borough.
Forest Maker
James Godfrey-Faussett
Outdoor Classroom Design
The pocket forests are meticulously crafted to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding urban environment, whether at a grand or intimate scale.
Embracing a multitude of advantages, this verdant oasis not only offers a plethora of benefits but also serves as an ideal setting for students to forge meaningful connections and acquire knowledge inspired by the natural world.
“We’re thrilled to be working with SUGi on delivering new biodiverse and much needed green spaces for residents of all ages across Newham. The pilot seeks to make a significant step towards increasing the long-term climate resilience of the borough alongside the immediate learning, community, and overall health benefits of the planting process.”
Jacob Heitland, Director of Climate Action at Newham Council
West Ham Church Primary School
The area of dense forest acts as a buffer against the busy road that runs alongside the school playing field. Planted as a large hedgerow, the pocket forest helps reduce noise pollution and well as airborne pollution and particulate matter.
Hallsville Primary
The school has been looking for a solution for a while to rewild a disused area of land close to the school nursery. With the area cleared, a dense pocket forest took its place, in keeping with the school’s desire to have a wild self-sustaining area that the children can still interact with.
School 21
The trees in the forest offer shade for all the students in the schoolyard on sunny days and provide some privacy from the public footpath. It creates fantastic opportunities for the primary students to learn at forest school and gives them the chance to watch how a forest matures during their time at the school.
Godwin Junior School
Godwin School already has an established outdoor classroom where children actively engage with Nature. By expanding into two adjoining forested areas, we aim to deepen this connection. The climbing frames and play areas gradually become a part of the forest as it flourishes, creating an immersive jungle-themed play environment for the students.
Harris Academy Chobham
The school has expressed such excitement to have a pocket forest on site as the forest school has been a favorite of the younger students. The forest has been designed to incorporate space for a fire circle where storytelling and sharing can take place in its heart. The canopy also provides shelter and seclusion from the busy public spaces surrounding the area.
Scott Wilkie Primary
The Forest extends the already established forest school 10 fold and gives the students a chance to immerse themselves within trees by following the winding footpath that is created. This also gives the school an opportunity to contribute to greening the local area which they feel is incredibly important to the future of the community.