TED talks: How to grow a tiny forest anywhere – Shubhendu Sharma

In this short, informative TED talk, entrepreneur Shubhendu Sharma demonstrates how we can grow small forests that mature 10 times faster than typical forests, and grow 30% denser and are 100 times more biodiverse. 

Using industrial know-how and by carefully tailoring the manufactured environment, Sharma’s improvised technique gets the miniature forests off to a racing start. After two or three years of care, the ecosystems become self sustaining.

Sharma shares his own backyard as a compelling case study – with 42 different species happily coexisting in a compact environment.

Sharma’s company, Afforestt, are not only taking their forests to homes, schools, and businesses around the world – they are also working on open-sourcing their technique online, so budding forest cultivators can replicate these miniature slices of the wilderness wherever they may be. 

To view this video on the TED website, click here. 

Further reading:

TED Talks: Can we prevent the end of the world? – Martin Rees

TED talks: your top five featured TED Talks

TED Talks: Seeds of Change – Pam Warhurst

TED talks: Stop the Rush! Why entrepreneurs should take the time to succeed – Phyllis Pierce

TED talks: Is ‘responsible investor’ an oxymoron? – Andrew Canter