Soho Farmhouse Forest
In 2022 we collaborated with Soho House to create the FarmHouse Reforestation Project, as part of their active global support of environmental and sustainability impact projects. Soho Farmhouse is a membership club set in 100 acres of Oxfordshire countryside.
Using extensive native species research and the Miyawaki Method for creating forests, we designed the Farmhouse Forest with a centered wellness glade on a 2400sqm former 5A side pitch, which was used as a construction yard. In early 2023 we worked onsite alongside the in-house teams, densely planted 3000 plants consisting of 42 native species and enhanced the soil with biochar to support natural biodiversity, improve soil, air and water quality in the area, absorb carbon, plus contribute to the nationwide effort to rewild land across the UK.
The forest planting layout consists of a dense Miyawaki method core wrapped around the wellness glade and a less densely planted outer ring.
Named after the Japanese botanist Dr Akira Miyawaki, the method involves careful soil preparation and densely planting a range of native woodland plants that are beneficial to wildlife. Trees in a Miyawaki forest grow up to ten times faster than trees planted in conventional woodland planting schemes at around one meter per year with minimal maintenance.
Miyawaki forests absorb more carbon than conventional woodland schemes because they grow more quickly and are densely planted. Native trees, such as those planted in a Miyawaki forest, can support significantly more wildlife than non-native species, on average 18 times higher.
Project benefits:
- Enhance Carbon Sequestration through Tree, Soil, and Biochar Innovation. The latest IPCC mitigation of climate change report identified natural ecosystems as one of the key solutions for absorbing excess atmospheric carbon dioxide and helping to fight climate change.
- Contribute to the restoration of native flora and fauna biodiversity.
- Engage the in-house teams in climate and biodiversity education through volunteering to plant phase 1 of the project. Research shows that more that 80% of volunteers report that the work they do has improved their mental health and sense of wellbeing; almost 50% think it has improved their physical health.
- Inspire Soho House members through a programmable wellness glade in the center of the forest, which will host wellness and educational events/workshops. Reconnecting them to nature and informing them of the benefits of rewilding both cities and countryside.
- Connect with the surrounding community by partnering with a number of local diverse owned organisations and citizen scientists to finalize the concept, implementation, and monitoring. The project is a great example of restoration of productive capacity to land, repairing ecosystem services like pollination and natural pest control, and creating new diverse income sources.
- Support wider reforestation efforts by offering up our methods and findings in this “living lab” with Pilio Group part of the University of Oxford Innovation Hub.
The UN has declared 2021 to 2030 as the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration to raise the profile of the global biodiversity crisis and inspire international collaboration to find solutions to reversing the damage.
The UK’s native woodlands support 1000s of native species. A single Oak tree is a haven for a colossal 2,300 wildlife species, providing vital spaces to eat, shelter and breed. Here is a small sample of the native wildlife above and below ground that would benefit from the project.
During the Soho Summit powered by Porsche at Farmhouse we had the honour of being on a panel of talented sustainability experts, we discussed the Farmhouse Forest project, the design process and the benefits from it over the coming years.
It’s never been more important to lend support and platforms to diverse voices and visions, and we were very excited to be spotlighted as one of the creative changemakers shifting the agenda right now.
