The first Tiny Forest has come to life in the Municipality of Lakatamia, converting 400m² of public land into a green lung filled with approximately 1,200 native Mediterranean plant species.

According to the Municipality, the initiative was jointly implemented by the Municipality of Lakatamia and the Cyprus Energy Agency as part of the European Climate Pact. The aim is to enhance local biodiversity while offering tangible environmental and social benefits to the community.

The tree-planting event for the Tiny Forest took place in the presence of Lakatamia Mayor Photoula Hadjipapa, Deputy Mayor Alkis Alkiviadis, and Vassilis Danilov, Communications Officer at the Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus. Students from Agios Georgios High School actively participated in the planting, bringing youthful energy and hope for the future to the initiative.

The Tiny Forest was developed using the Miyawaki method, a pioneering reforestation technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. This method involves planting a high density of native species that simulate natural forest regeneration. Forests created with this technique grow ten times faster, are thirty times denser, and absorb significantly more CO₂ than traditional forests. The method is applied worldwide, especially in urban areas, to promote biodiversity, improve air quality, and strengthen climate change resilience.

The event concluded with a symbolic gesture from the Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus. Mr. Danilov gifted seeds to the students, encouraging them to keep cultivating their future.