Tiny Forests to leave lasting legacy after Birmingham 2022 at schools across the West Midlands

ITV News Central Reporter Ravneet Nandra joins the group of schools in Coventry for their tree planting ahead of Birmingham 2022

Thousands of trees are being planted at schools across the Midlands with the aim to leave a lasting environmental legacy following the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

At least 72 tennis-court sized tiny forests will be planted across the region, one for each of the nations and territories competing in the games.

One school in Coventry joined forces with members of the Zambian community, to create the first tiny forest.

Six schools teamed-up with Severn Trent to plant Tiny Forests in celebration of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, supported by environmental charity Earthwatch Europe. 

The six Tiny Forests sites are located at Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School and Moseley Primary School in Coventry, Northleigh House School in Warwick, St Anne’s Catholic Academy in Nuneaton, Silkmore Primary Academy in Stafford and Heart of Worcestershire College in Bromsgrove. 

Around 3,600 trees in total are set to be planted across the six sites with the support of Earthwatch Europe.

Each site will become a nature-rich accessible green space and an inspiring outdoor classroom for people to reconnect with nature.  

Graham Osborn, Principle Ecologist at Severn Trent said: "These are going to provide more of that linkage with the children and the communities to kind of bring nature back into an urban setting and help them really appreciate what nature does for us."

The sites will help to deliver a lasting legacy for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games as well as boosting access to green space in urban areas, supporting environmental education and increasing regional resilience against environmental issues such as flooding, heat stress and nature loss.  

Coventry schools are twinned with schools in Zambia in a new commonwealth partnership.

It's a chance to share and learn each others' cultures ahead of the games. 

A Zambian community representative joined the tree planting and said: "It's not just about sports and I think that is very very interesting."

"The Zambian children are also learning about the culture here in the UK all in the name of the commonwealth."

"I don't know how we could have done this if it wasn't for the commonwealth."