San Miguel Tully in Australia is a creek ecosystem which, along with the surrounding land, needs revitalization. Purifying the water outflows is critical to the quality of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Sites like this creek, with its exotic and rare flora, are sanctuaries for nature. They are a tiny but essential oasis in a large sea of farmland.

Located in a heavily polluted area of London, yet near to the historic river Thames, this school forest will provide access to nature for children who have little green space in their daily lives. The forest will support the science curriculum for these young students, give hands-on exposure to the importance of biodiversity and give them an active role in boosting the ecological richness of the area.

Gurrbum II was the second stage of an ambitious project, initiated in 2020, which created a critical and strategic habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary in Queensland.

This project enabled the expansion of the habitat, creating a larger area where these birds, and indeed other fauna, are able to thrive. The site is located within the Smith’s Gap Corridor, an expanse that connects protected land across the Wet Tropics of Queensland UNESCO World Heritage Area. The Australian Government Threatened Species Prospectus identifies revegetation of Smith’s Gap as a priority project for Cassowary recovery.

Khoi First Nations Forest will be a collaboration with the Goringhaikona Khoi tribe, an indigenous South African community. Planting a forest will reconnect community members with native tree species from the neighboring Table Mountain.

The Goringhaikona kraal (a traditional, circular enclosure and settlement) at the Oude Molen Eco-Village is a cultural and heritage site where this first nations tribe uphold their practices. It is the last remaining Khoi kraal in Cape Town and Khoi First Nations Forest will be located adjacent to it. Indeed the forest will have a circular design, mirroring the shape of the kraal.

Our Athenian Oak Revival project marks the first time SUGi is venturing into large-scale oak restoration and comes in response to the tragic loss of forests in the region following years of intermittent fires. Calling on both the natural history and mythology of the region, 12 species of indigenous oak trees will be restored across 10,000 Sq m. Our aim is to bring back a native oak forest in an area where these beautiful ecosystems used to be common sight but are slowly being forgotten.

The project will restore this complex ecosystem through the planting of an interconnected mix of native species - from the mighty oaks down to scented and medicinal herbs. This will create one harmonic and resilient ecosystem in which biodiversity will flourish. Athenian Oak Revival is also important for land management and the prevention of forest fires. It offers an alternative to the pine monoplanations that have come to dominate the local landscape and are highly susceptible to fires. In planting a diverse mix of species, this pocket of oak forest could potentially help combat future blazes.

SUGi is delighted to bring yet another of its outdoor classrooms to students in Berkeley, with a new Miyawaki forest at Berkeley Technology Academy.

Berkeley Technology Academy (BTA) is a continuation high school diploma program designed to meet the needs of students aged 16-18, who have not graduated from high school, and are deemed at risk of not completing their education.