Sustainability - Tiny Forest
The Tiny Forest, planted by students with around 1,000 individual plants, provides a unique outdoor learning space at Ajuga School. It offers students the opportunity to learn together outside while monitoring and collecting data from this vibrant, growing ecosystem.
The Roots of Our Project
In August 2025, the students and staff at Ajuga School came together to plant a Tiny Forest, a vibrant initiative in partnership with Earthwatch Australia, Campbelltown City Council, the Georges River Environmental Education Centre, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. This project includes a beautifully designed outdoor classroom, offering a natural setting where students can immerse themselves in meaningful learning experiences while enhancing their well-being. To enrich their understanding of the environment, a control forest was also established, allowing students to compare valuable data on plant growth and biodiversity.
The Tiny Forest was planted with species from the Cumberland Plain Woodland, a critically endangered ecological community that supports local biodiversity, such as the endangered Cumberland Plain Land Snail. The Ajuga School engaged the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney to cultivate indigenous microorganisms within a remnant stand of Cumberland Plain Woodland and then transplant the microorganisms into the Tiny Forest soil.
The students from the Ajuga School worked with Royal Botanic Gardens staff to create nutrient balls for the Tiny Forest, which were made up of clay, native soil, organic manure, sugarcane mulch, and microorganisms. The benefits of planting microorganisms include improved plant health and growth, as well as increased soil moisture and water retention, which enhances the availability of nutrients to plants.
Our Ajuga Tiny Forest is an ongoing initiative where students actively care for, record, and support the forest’s growth
We sincerely thank Earthwatch Australia, Campbelltown City Council, The Georges River Environmental Education Centre, and The Royal Botanic Garden for their support and collaboration.
Become a Tree Keeper and help with maintenance, community engagement, or citizen science activities like monitoring wildlife and trees. Connect with nature, support our students, and make a real difference in your local environment.
You can also keep up to date with our Tiny Forest, from ongoing surveys to the latest data results, right here!
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