NextGen Forests
Greening for Newham’s Next Generation.
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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
Adrian Wong
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.
Forest Report: 2025
West Ham Church Primary School
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There has been a lot of growth in the forest and its density has really increased. Many butterflies are using the forest to lay eggs and there is evidence that foxes are moving through the forest as well. The school is really pleased with the forest as it provides screening for the neighbours from the school noise and increases privacy for the school.
Urban Heat Profile
The Urban Heat Island Effect is affecting cities more and more each year and temperatures in urban areas can go up to 12 degrees hotter. This can be reduced and prevented by planting urban forests like this. We collected the air temperatures on a hot day in July at Hallsville Primary and saw amazing results.
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Hallsville Primary
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The forest has shown a lot of growth since last year, the forest has been developing very slowly but is healthy and filling in this year. It has not been affected by the extremely dry Spring and early summer in London.
School 21
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The forest has suffered considerably by the students trampling many of the young saplings, they are using the area along the fence line to sit during lunch breaks from class. This has left more than half the forest trampled. The areas that are not trampled are growing well and have gain height in the past year.
Urban Heat Profile
The Urban Heat Island Effect is affecting cities more and more each year and temperatures in urban areas can go up to 12 degrees hotter. This can be reduced and prevented by planting urban forests like this. We collected the air temperatures on a hot day in July at Scott Wilkie Primary and saw amazing results.
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Scott Wilkie Primary
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This forest has shown a lot of growth in the past year, the White Poplars have really stood out as they have grown the most and give the forest a very full and lush feel. The other trees have suffered with the dry spring/ summer though. This forest has been attracting a lot of butterflies and foxes, who pass through it regularly. The school has done a good job of maintaining a pathway that runs through the forest and will allow the children to travel through the forest in the future.
Harris Academy Chobham
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The forest has been covered with wildflowers and they have been keeping the young forest from getting scorched by the sun, a large amount of invertebrate were present during my visit. A creek runs along side of the forest area and moisture from the creek has been keeping the forest well watered and healthy. Mushroom activity was present during my visit, in the last few days of July, showing the Fungi activity is high and in good health.
Godwin Junior School
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A large amount of saplings have been found in the forest that have self seeded from the mature trees that surround the space, making the survival rate figures higher than 100%. The forest is healthy with a large amount of tall grass growing between the trees that have been protecting them from the full suns rays and keeping moisture around them.
Langdon Academy
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This forest has been developing very well and shown a lot of growth. The students have had a lot of interaction with the forest throughout the school year, coming out to do observations of the wildlife to water the forest as it establishes.
“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
Planting
Langdon Academy
Langdon Academy, nestled on 43 acres, will plant a SUGi Pocket Forest to engage 2,000 students aged 4 to 16 in the importance of biodiversity and tree planting. This pocket forest will serve as an outdoor classroom for students, giving them hands-on experience in the forest school curriculum. Students will observe, track, and connect with the growth of the forest and its ecosystem, fostering a deeper understanding of climate resilience.
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.
"EcoWarriors are a small group of students who take care of the pocket forest at Scott Wilkie. Joining the group is an honor at the school, and is a reward for showing an active interest in learning about nature. We’re very excited to have an opportunity to have children learn about the natural world right here at the school — and we’re very grateful for SUGi’s active support investigating the forest with the kids."
Claire Singh EcoWarriors Students’ Initiative Lead, Scott Wilkie, NextGen Forests
Native Species
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