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🌳Nature-based Solutions
🌏265+ pocket forests, 28 countries
🌿Biodiversity, climate resilience & well-being in communities

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🌱 Something is coming.Three Fellowships. 600 applicants. 266 pocket forests.This is what comes next.The SUGi Academy. Doors open this October.A path from inspired to enabled.From applicant to forest maker.From one forest to a thousand.More soon.Sign up to our newsletter to get latest news. (Link in bio)#SUGi #pocketforest #academy by @sugiproject

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25 days ago

Applications for the SUGi Academy founding cohort are now live.A 12 week experience. Starting October 2026.Link in bio.Apply by 5 August.#SUGi #PocketForest #Biodiversity #Cities by @sugiproject

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What actually happens when a tree comes under stress, from heat, drought, disease, or pollution? Turns out, it starts communicating.When attacked, a tree releases airborne chemical signals within minutes, warning nearby trees to raise their defences. Underground, mycorrhizal fungal networks carry the same distress calls between roots, letting “mother trees” send water and nutrients to struggling neighbours.Pollen is part of that conversation too. Under stress, trees shift into survival mode, producing more pollen and seed as a final effort to reproduce. Doubling CO2 levels alone can raise a tree’s pollen output by over 1,000% in lab studies, and urban heat islands push some trees to flower two to three weeks earlier than their rural neighbours. It matters for people too. Japan didn’t even have a name for this until 1964, when doctors first described cedar pollen allergy, kafunsho, after the country reforested with fast-growing cedar monoculture. Today it affects nearly 40% of the population. The fix? Rethink how, and what, we plant in our cities. A forest of one species under stress is fragile. A forest of many, native and interconnected, is resilient, for the trees and for us. When nature is thoughtfully planned in the spaces we build, everyone breathes easier. Support Nature-based Solutions that build biodiversity, climate resilience, and wellbeing in cities. 🌿 Link in our bio 👆#SUGi #PocketForest #Biodiversity #Cities #London Sources: Amplification of early drought responses caused by volatile cues emitted from neighboring plants (NCBI); Mycorrhizal Networks Facilitate Tree Communication, Learning, and Memory, Simard (UBC); An Overview of Rising CO2 and Climatic Change on Aeroallergens and Allergic Diseases (NCBI); Japanese Cedar Pollinosis: Discovery, Nomenclature, and Epidemiological Trends, Sakashita et al., Allergology International by @sugiproject

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The SUGi Academy exists to grow the number of people who have the skills and tools to scale the impact of pocket forest Applications for the SUGi Academy founding cohort are now live.Starting October 2026.Link in bio.Apply by 5 August. by @sugiproject

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8 days ago

SUGi Walks London: Resilient Roots 📆 Saturday 25th July 2026 📍Battersea to Chelsea, London ⏱️ 10:30 - 13:30 🌳Register Now (Link in our bio) Limited to spaces — first come first serve. Join our UK Forest Lead, Adrian Wong, for a 3-hour walk through Central London to experience the Miyawaki method through London’s most vibrant green spaces. We’ll take a close look at how nature is coping with London’s unprecedented heatwave, and just how resilient these young forests really are.🌳🌆The tour includes: 🎟️ A 3-hour tour with our UK Forest Lead 🌱 Insights into the creation of pocket forests in cities 🌿Visiting: Synergy Forest, Serenity Forest and Heritage Forest 📖 A zine ✨ Stickers 🍦 Ice cream Share with a friend, bring curiosity, bring comfy shoes. Leave with new connections and proof that London still knows how to grow wild. by @sugiproject

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10 days ago

Transforming a biodiversity desert, under London Plane trees, into a thriving ecosystem.Before this forest was planted in 2021, the space was nothing more than a gravel flat, with just a few plane trees and no other vegetation. Since then, it has been incredible to see the growth and development of this forest ecosystem. The appearance of mushrooms within the forest tells us that mycorrhizal networks have developed underground, and that the soil is healthy. Some of the mushrooms present are typically found in more mature wooded areas, making their appearance in this young forest somewhat surprising - a testament to its health and success.Notably, the Hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna) are thriving and stand as the tallest trees in the forest. As pioneer species, they tend to grow quickly during the establishment phase of a forest, often leading the way in ecological succession. When blossoming in spring, their flowers provide valuable nectar for insects, attracting many pollinators and caterpillars early in the growing season. During mid summer and autumn, we observed a variety of invertebrates, like spiders and beetles, providing a great food source for the visiting birds.Nestled in the heart of the city, many people pass by the forest and are able to use this space to reconnect with Nature. We encountered a gentleman who shared how special this place is to him personally, using the forest as a space for meditation and reflection on an important decision regarding his faith. The plants growing here remind him of where he grew up, evoking a sense of nostalgia and connection to his past.SUGi Forest Maker: James Godfrey-Faussett Forest Partner: @louisvuitton & Cadogan EstateSupport Nature-based Solutions that build biodiversity, climate resilience, and wellbeing in cities. 🌿 Link in our bio 👆#SUGi #PocketForest #Biodiversity #Cities #London by @sugiproject

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11 days ago

The Language of Nature Is Fading — Can We Bring It Back?What does the appearance of words like “river,” “mountain,” and “meadow” in books tell us about our connection to nature? ⛰️🌿📚Apparently a lot.Between 1800 and 1990 the use of these words declined by 60%.They may just be words, but they reflect a something bigger: as cities have grown and the environment has degraded, humans have become more disconnected from nature.And that matters. Research shows that the less we see and experience nature, the less we value it — fueling biodiversity loss and the climate crisis.The fix? Get outside. Help younger generations develop an affinity for nature.It’s not enough to simply have green space around us. We need to connect with it too.Because we protect what we feel connected to. 💚Source: Earth: Modelling Nature Connectedness Within Environmental Systems: Human-Nature Relationships from 1800 to 2020 and Beyond - by Miles RichardsonSupport Nature-based Solutions that build biodiversity, climate resilience and wellbeing in cities. 🌿Link in our bio 👆#SUGi #PocketForest #Biodiversity #Cities #Plant by @sugiproject

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🇧🇪💚 Over the past 6 years we have brought back native European pocket forests, restoring biodiversity, building climate resilience, and reconnecting communities to nature and each other.Pocket Forests: 22Trees: 36,060 Square Meters: 13,025Native Species: 30 Youth Impacted: 7,000+From a pocket forest at Tour & Taxis in the heart of Brussels to depaving a car park in Mechelen, and from Outdoor Classrooms to Parks, we have been transforming urban spaces; bringing back the Temperate Forests of Europe, one pocket at a time. “Planting trees and watching them grow together to form a thriving ecosystem is an inspiring message for the future”— Nicolas de Brabandère, SUGi Forest Maker, Founder Urban Forests BelgiumSupport Nature-based Solutions that build biodiversity, climate resilience, and wellbeing in cities. 🌿 Link in our bio 👆SUGi Forest marker: Nicolas de Brabandère @urbanforestsbelgiumForest partners: GBL, Vittel & Fhirst#SUGi #PocketForest #Biodiversity #Cities #Belgium by @sugiproject

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16 days ago

The door is open.Applications for the SUGi Academy founding cohort are now live.A 12 week experience. Starting October 2026.Link in bio. Apply by 5 August. by @sugiproject

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🇺🇸2 years after planting, Manhattan Healing Forest has become a vision of urban life more connected to nature. People return to visit the trees they planted. Neighbours stop by on walks. Children explore beneath the growing canopy.This summer, the forest brought the community together once again. Families gathered for a Flower & Forest Workshop, creating bouquets while learning about native plants, biodiversity, and the importance of greening cities.The forest has changed dramatically over the past 2 years. Now the land is covered in young growth, the canopy is closing in, and the site is beginning to heal.Wildlife is finding its way back too. Migratory birds, butterflies, squirrels, hawks, and pollinators are all making use of this growing habitat.On an island surrounded by concrete, traffic, and water, this small forest is helping cool the landscape, improve biodiversity, and create a healthier place for both people and wildlife.In the middle of New York City, Manhattan Healing Forest is proving that even the smallest forests can make a lasting difference.Support Nature-based Solutions that build biodiversity, climate resilience and wellbeing in cities. 🌿Link in our bio 👆SUGi Forest Maker: Ethan Bryson @naturalurbanforests with Marylee @smuniteeIn collaboration with: @idig2learn @rooseveltislandny lenapecenterLocal support @openspaceinstitute @grin_10044 @forestforallnyc @treesny @rigc_communitygarden @hakicompost @_risg_ @bigreuseImages by: Dino Kužnik @dinokuznik #SUGi #PocketForest #Biodiversity #Cities #Plant by @sugiproject

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20 days ago

🇺🇸 Join us for a guided walk through two of Seattle’s SUGi Pocket Forests, where you’ll hear stories and teachings from Coast Salish knowledge holders and learn how these pocket forests are restoring biodiversity in the city.📆 Wednesday, July 8th, 2026📍Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, 1330 N 90th St, Seattle, WA 98103 (southwest corneryard, off Stone Ave)⏱ 11:00am – 2:00pm (PST)🌳Register Now (Link in our bio)Limited spaces — first come first serve.Event details:11:00am – 12:30pm: Robert Eagle Staff Middle School1:00pm – 2:00pm: Unity Forest, North Seattle CollegeWe’ll begin at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, where Louis Eagle Staff will introduce the forest and share its story. We’ll then continue to the nearby Unity Forest at North Seattle College, where Willard Bill Jr., an enrolled member of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Tribal Government Liaison for Seattle College, will share his knowledge of Coast Salish culture and the connections between community, culture, and nature.For over 30 years, Willard has worked in Indian Education, serving as a GED tutor, classroom teacher, college recruiter, district administrator, building administrator, and cultural director. He has also been an ocean-going canoe skipper for over 20 years and is passionate about Coast Salish culture.Guiding us along the way is Ethan Bryson, SUGi Forest Maker, who will share insights into the Miyawaki method and how it’s being used to grow these dense, biodiverse native forests in the heart of Seattle.At both stops, we’ll use the iNaturalist app to identify flora and fauna, helping build a map of biodiversity within these forests and the Licton Springs (Liq’tid) neighborhood. by @sugiproject

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21 days ago

Imagine a year from now. A pocket forest growing where there wasn’t one. You found the site. You made the case to the landowner. You gathered the people who stood around it on plant day. You planned it to the SUGi Method. And you’re still there, tending it into its first spring.In twelve weeks, we’ll teach you how to do that.More soon.Sign up to our newsletter to get latest news. (Link in bio)#SUGi #pocketforest #academy by @sugiproject

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