SUGi Talks

In September 2025, we hosted an in-depth conversation with leading experts in ecology, urban greening, and community development on the topic of Biodiversity & Belonging and why Wild Urban Spaces Matter for our health and well-being.Together with internationally recognised author of The Nature of Our Cities, Dr. Nadina Galle; founder of Nowadays on Earth, Kalpana Alejandra Arias; and our own SUGi UK Forest Lead, Adrian Wong, we explored bold ideas and real-world solutions for transforming urban life with wild, biodiverse Nature.From building climate resilience and restoring lost biodiversity to addressing the mental health crisis in our cities, we looked at how community action, science, and Nature can unite to reshape what cities can become—and how we can better work together to make it happen.

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP03: The Impact: What does science say about our Miyawaki Forests?  Did you know that there is a biodiversity crisis in our cities? How can our Pocket Forests help cities? Do they actually work?  On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet Dr. Grey Coupland.  Grey is our lead scientist at SUGi, and she holds the key to the rich data behind our Pocket Forests. Based in Perth Australia, she was recognised by UNESCO’s Green Citizen’s campaign for her STEM outreach program which brings Miyawaki forests into schools.  With a PhD in ecology, her most recent work is dedicated to investigating the use and effectiveness of Miyawaki forests in urban greening, specifically their impact on biodiversity, wellbeing, and climate change mitigation. Grey planted our SUGi Pocket forest at South Padbury Primary School. From this forest, she’s been gathering important data about Miyawaki Forests and their impact. Together we’ll speak about how Miyawaki forests can help cities as climate change puts our cities at risk.  Thank you Dr. Grey. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 More info: South Padbury Primary School SUGi Pocket Forest: https://www.sugiproject.com/projects/south-padbury-primary-school Donate: ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠Dr Grey Coupland: ⁠www.pocketforestswa.org

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP02: India’s Lost Desert Forests: Can life thrive in the desert? Rajasthan, the Desert State of India, has always been considered barren land. Because of this misconception it has become one of the most ignored places for ecological restoration. However ancient literature and fossils have shown that there were once forests where the Thar Desert now resides. Today our Forest Maker Gaurav Gurjar is on a mission to restore a piece of these lost desert forests, but can life really thrive in the desert? On this episode of ⁠SUGi Talks⁠ we speak to Gaurav. He is a jungle tree expert at Afforestt and the Director of the Maruvan Foundation in Rajasthan. Over the past few years, Gaurav has been restoring an area of India’s lost desert forest, and with the support of SUGi he’s begun the second 4,000 sqm phase of the project. Living on the land, enduring intense heat and drought, Gaurav has worked tirelessly to harness the elements in order to restore the land, and the results are astonishing. We talk about the power of deep observation, ancestral wisdom, and how as a society we could live in better harmony with Nature to create abundance for all. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 With thanks to  Gaurav Gurjar. More info: SUGi: https://www.sugiproject.com/Gaurav Gurjar: https://www.sugiproject.com/forest-makers/gaurav-gurjar

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP01: Urban Biodiversity: Can Pocket Forests save our cities? Our cities are expanding. Green spaces are being gobbled up by concrete and asphalt. And what is the cost of this rapid urbanisation? Why do we need Nature in our cities? How can urban forests help biodiversity and community wellbeing?  On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet James Godfrey-Faussett. As SUGi’s lead Forest Maker, James manages our global urban Pocket Forest and afforestation efforts. In the UK alone he has planted 20 forests, including the UK and Europe's biggest Miyawaki forest in Barking and Dagenham. Focussing on cities and the chronic lack of biodiversity in our urban areas, we reimagine what healthy cities could look like. Alongside this, we speak about the healing power of Nature and the UK’s at-risk temperate rainforest biome.  Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 With thanks to James Godfrey-Faussett. Support Nature-based Solutions that build biodiversity, climate resilience, and wellbeing in cities. 🌿 https://www.sugiproject.com/support Project Links: Southbank Centre — Natura Nostra Forest https://www.sugiproject.com/projects/southbank-natura-nostra-forest Koswik Law — A temperate rainforest in Cornwall https://www.sugiproject.com/projects/koswik-law Ancestral Forest — Wonderfruit's interactive festival forest https://www.sugiproject.com/projects/ancestral-forest

Our SUGi Forest Maker Brett Krause grew up on a sawmill in Northern Queensland. Witnessing deforestation and the destruction of habitats, he was inspired to be part of the solution. Upon discovering the Miyawaki Method of creating rapid-growth biodiverse native forests, Brett set about on a mission to restore habitat for endangered species, like the extraordinary Cassowary and the Mahogany Glider.Since 2014, and with our support, he’s been establishing biodiversity corridors in farm-degraded rural areas.In this episode of SUGi Talks, we’ll speak about how he went from growing up on a sawmill witnessing deforestation, to now leading the way on Miyawaki Forest building in Northern Queensland.

Since the Enlightenment public space has served a pivotal role in the exchange of ideas, the cultivation of national identity, and the integration of communities. In Beirut however, money-hungry privatisation and hostile policies have left much of its public spaces dwindling. In 2019, in a demand for change protestors reclaimed Beirut’s historical public space, Martyrs' Square.During the revolution, environmental architect and one of our first SUGi Forest Makers, Adib Dada was in the 2nd phase of his RiverLESS SUGi Pocket Forest, a project designed to help regenerate the Beirut River, and reclaim it as a public space. 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. 

Amman, Jordan is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and the ongoing desertification of the region continues to threaten its resources. Our SUGi Forest Maker Deema Assaf watched her hometown of Amman become almost unrecognisable as urbanisation swept through its landscapes.Understanding the cost of losing so much Nature she trained to become a Forest Maker and in 2018 she planted the first Miyawaki Forest of the Arab world.Focussing on preserving the genetic diversity of Jordan, Deema’s important work has protected some of the country’s most endangered tree species. On this excerpt of SUGi Talks, we speak about Amman’s rapid urbanisation, and the importance of changing mindsets towards Nature

On this excerpt of ⁠SUGi Talks⁠ we speak to Gaurav Gurjar. Gaurav is a jungle tree expert at Afforestt and the Director of the Maruvan Foundation in Rajasthan. Over the past few years, Gaurav has been restoring an area of India’s lost desert forest, and with the support of SUGi he’s begun the second 4,000 sqm phase of the project. Living on the land, enduring intense heat and drought, Gaurav has worked tirelessly to harness the elements in order to restore the land, and the results are astonishing. We talk about the power of deep observation, ancestral wisdom, and how as a society we could live in better harmony with Nature to create abundance for all.

In this episode of SUGi Talks we meet the writer and journalist Lucy Jones. Her book Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need The Wild explores the powerful ways Nature impacts our lives, and dives deep into the research that explains why we have such a profound connection to the living world.. 

Our cities are in trouble and it’s not just the climate crisis. Urban areas are facing multiple interconnected challenges, including the ecological crisis, the human health crisis, and the climate crisis.  In this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak to Cecil Konijnendijk about how Nature-based Solutions, like our SUGi Pocket Forests, can help mitigate the growing issues in our cities.  With over 30 years of experience studying, teaching and advising with the likes of the United Nations on urban forestry and the implementation of Nature-based Solutions, Cecil is passionate about using trees to develop better cities and always stresses the importance of building meaningful relationships between people and places.  Together we uncover the barriers and challenges in implementing equitable green strategies in cities, and why it is so important. 

Did you know that underneath the forest floor resources can be transferred from one tree to another in need? The Mycorrhizal Network is a fungal web that resides in soil. It functions like Nature’s internet, connecting many plants and enabling the transfer of resources and chemical messengers. On this excerpt of SUGi Talks we speak with ecologist and SUGi Forest Maker Gabriel Orrego about the magical inner workings of fungi. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks.

What would happen our minds if one day we woke up to a world with no trees, forests, or even grass? If birds and butterflies were a thing of the past, and green spaces were non-existent. What if our only experience of Nature was through a simulation on a screen? This is the stark future depicted in the opening of Lucy Jones’s book Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild. It traces her own journey through addiction and depression, recalling the healing impact of Nature in her own recovery while diving deep into the studies and research that point to why being in Nature makes us feel good. In this episode of SUGi Talks we speak to Lucy about why she felt compelled to write Losing Eden, and together we explore the research that explains the science behind our profound connection to the living world. Make sure you like and subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿

Roaming the lush rainforests of Northern Queensland and Papua New Guinea, the Cassowary bird is a striking sight to behold. Resembling something like an exquisite dinosaur at 6 feet tall, this at-risk flightless bird is now in a fight for survival. As a keystone species, the Cassowary is facing endangerment due to the fragmentation of its habitat by development and industrial agriculture.  On this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak with SUGi Forest Maker Brett Krause.  Since 2014, with our support, Brett has been planting Miyawaki forests in Tropical North Queensland as a way to create habitats for endangered species like the Cassowary and the Mahogany Glider.  Together we’ll speak about how he went from growing up on a sawmill witnessing deforestation, to now leading the way on Miyawaki forest building in Northern Australia.  Make sure you like and subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 More info: SUGi: https://www.sugiproject.com

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. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 ⁠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.  Make sure you like and subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 SUGi: https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠⁠

“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 Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 SUGi: ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP.09 — Cities in Crisis: How Nature-based Solutions & urban trees can tackle our cities' growing issues. You might have heard the term 'Nature-based Solutions', but what does it actually mean? What do they look like? And how can they help cities tackle the ecological and climate crisis? On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet Cecil Konijnendijk. Cecil co-directs the Nature-Based Solutions Institute, a think tank dedicated to evidence-based urban greening strategies, and he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading urban forestry experts. With over 30 years of experience studying, teaching, and advising, including collaborations with organisations like the United Nations on urban forestry and the implementation of Nature-based Solutions, Cecil is passionate about using trees to develop better cities and always stresses the importance of building meaningful relationships between people and places. So we’ll be discussing all things related to Nature-based solutions and how urban trees, like our SUGi Pocket Forests, can help cities from an environmental perspective, as well as on psychological, social, and health levels too. Make sure you like and subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 More info:  Nature-Based Solutions Institute: https://nbsi.eu/ SUGi: https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our cities are expanding. Green spaces are being gobbled up by concrete and asphalt. And what is the cost of this rapid urbanisation? Why do we need Nature in our cities? How can urban forests help biodiversity and community wellbeing?  On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet James Godfrey-Faussett. As SUGi’s lead Forest Maker, James manages our global urban Pocket Forest and afforestation efforts. In the UK alone he has planted 20 forests, including the UK and Europe's biggest Miyawaki forest in Barking and Dagenham. Focussing on cities and the chronic lack of biodiversity in our urban areas, we reimagine what healthy cities could look like. Alongside this, we speak about the healing power of Nature and the UK’s at-risk temperate rainforest biome.  Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 With thanks to James Godfrey-Faussett. SUGi: Greening Cities & Reimagining Urban Life. ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP.08: The Cloud Gardener: Taking on the UK’s urban developers.   Like many of us, during the pandemic Jason Williams, aka The Cloud Gardener, was forced indoors. While on furlough from his hospitality job, he decided to try a few plants out on his balcony. Up on the 18th floor of a high rise in Manchester city, he went from struggling with one marigold flower to transforming his balcony into a thriving ecosystem in the sky. Three years on he’s now a multi-award-winning gardener and a successful UK gardening influencer, intertwining his own mental health journey into his online presence. With a focus on accessibility, community and urban biodiversity, he helps city dwellers make the most of their spaces. Recently named a Local Nature Champion in Manchester, today Jason is committed to working with urban developers and local councils to help design policies that make way for more accessible green spaces for residents.  On this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak about urban gardening, mental health, and community initiatives that reintegrate Nature into the lives of city residents.  Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 More info: The Cloud Gardener: https://cloudgardeneruk.co.uk/ SUGi: Greening Cities & Reimagining Urban Life. https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠⁠

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP07: Jordan’s Changing Landscapes: The ecological price tag of urbanisation. In the not-too-distant past, Deema was working as an architect in Amman, Jordan. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, Deema watched her hometown become almost unrecognisable as urbanisation swept through its landscapes, forgoing much of its Nature and local biodiversity.  As Jordan’s ongoing desertification continues to threaten its resources, Deema understood the cost of losing so much Nature. Taking matters into her own hands, she trained to become a forest maker and in 2018 she planted the first Miyawaki forest in the Arab world. Focussing on preserving the genetic diversity of Jordan, Deema’s important work has protected some of the country’s most endangered tree species. Today, she is collaborating with SUGi on a new forest, Amman Sanctuary, which will feature a Miyawaki forest, alongside an experimental agroforestry space, a seed bank and a nursery. On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet Deema Assaf. Together we speak about Jordan’s changing landscapes, the implications of urbanisation, and the importance of changing mindsets towards Nature. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿Donate: ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠