Our cities are heating up, and fast. Rising global temperatures means the urban heat island effect in our cities will be amplified. Trees are a proven way to help cities combat this growing issue.

On this excerpt of ⁠SUGi Talks⁠ we speak to Dr. Grey Coupland.

Grey is our lead scientist at SUGi, and she holds the key to the rich data behind our Pocket Forests. With a PhD in ecology, her most recent work is dedicated to investigating the use and effectiveness of Miyawaki forests in cities, specifically their impact on cooling, biodiversity and wellbeing.

Together we’ll speak about the hard data our Miyawaki Forests.

Thank you Dr. Grey.

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⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠

In 2019, after decades of corruption, intense pollution and a severe economic collapse, protestors flooded the streets of Beirut demanding change. Amongst them was environmental architect and one of our first SUGi Forest Makers, Adib Dada.

Deep into the revolution, Adib was in the second phase of his RiverLESS SUGi Pocket Forest, a project he designed with SUGi to help regenerate The Beirut River and reclaim it as a public space. On the anniversary of Lebanon’s Independence Day, after a protest at Martyrs Square, he took people directly from the streets and brought them to plant trees on the banks of The Beirut River.

In this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak with Adib Dada about how he is planting Miyawaki forests in Beirut to tackle pollution, reclaim public space and restore hope in the Lebanese people. Together we speak about the monumental challenges the city faces, and how communities have come together to find alternative paths forward.

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“I can remember walking out and there being rocks here and there. The dirt was just powder; there wasn’t even weeds growing. After Ethan did all of the things with the soils. It’s beautiful because we’re rebuilding what was already here.

Think of when an eagle that went and caught a salmon, ate it and then left some of its remnants; that’s exactly what we are doing here. Because those are the nutrients that the soil needs.

Little by little not only did the plants grow but we started to have rabbits, frogs, mushrooms. I mean it’s own community. The relationship isn’t just powerful for people it’s healing the Earth, and it’s like we’re all dancing to the same music. Seeing the beauty of this garden, the reconnection of culture, identity, it’s great.”

— Marylee Jones, Gatherer and Member of the Yakama Nation

With thanks to Marylee Jones & Ethan Bryson

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SUGi: ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠