American Express staff in Sussex spend day volunteering at the south coast's first Tiny Forest
and live on Freeview channel 276
The Amex colleague volunteering day was organised by Earthwatch, which is planting 12 Tiny Forests with support from Defra's Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
Teams from the offices in Brighton and Burgess Hill took part in the science day, the second of several UK colleague volunteering activities as part of a new partnership between American Express and Earthwatch Europe.
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Hide AdThe 38 Amex colleagues helped collect data to assess how the age of the forest, species composition, forest design and geographic location affect flood management, thermal comfort, carbon capture and biodiversity.
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They helped monitor soil moisture, compaction, texture and colour, recorded air temperature, humidity and wind speed, made a note of tree species, height, diameter and mortality, and studied butterflies, pollinators and ground dwellers.
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Hide AdLancing Tiny Forest was planted at East Lancing Recreational Ground on March 11, 2021. The design features an outdoor classroom area for use by schools and residents.
In April, American Express announced a number of grants as part of its commitment to backing low-carbon communities by 2025. The grants will support nature-based solutions and sustainability efforts around the world, particularly in urban areas.
A grant of 145,000 dollars, equivalent to around £110,000, was awarded to Earthwatch to fund the planting of several hundred trees in the UK to help mitigate the impacts of climate change and enhance biodiversity. The grant will also provide a Climate Change Master Class, led by scientists, available to American Express colleagues globally later this year.