The Horniman plans to create a micro-forest to protect gardens from pollution

A museum in Forest Hill has shared their plans to create a micro-forest, in order to protect their gardens from noise and air pollution.

The new trees at the Horniman Museum will also create additional wildlife habitats.

The eastern section of the area will become a woodland, featuring coppiced hazel under-planted with meadow grassland including a mixture of wildflowers and native plants such as snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells, wood anemones and snakes head fritillaries.

The western section, closest to a congested junction of the South Circular, will be planted using the Miyawaki method, to create a dense and fast-growing micro-forest.

Errol Fernandes, Head of Horticulture at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, says: ‘We’re excited to be using the Miyawaki method to plant our micro-forest, and to be creating this important new habitat and environmental buffer.

We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who supported our appeal and played a vital part in creating something that will benefit our local environment for decades to come.’

The Miyawaki method, created by Japanese botanist and plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki, uses natural forest regeneration processes and close planting, prompting trees to grow faster as they compete for the sun.

The method speeds up the creation of a diverse, healthy forest which can capture more carbon far earlier than traditional reforesting techniques.

The London Road Tree Planting Appeal, fronted by garden designer, TV presenter and Horniman Ambassador Joe Swift, ran from February 2021 and raised almost £25,000 – more than doubling its original target.

Planting will continue through the winter and into early spring, with the newly planted trees taking some years to mature.