By Cheryl Harrison, Master Gardener
A little forest … seems like a bit of an oxymoron. I always thought of a forest as a loose grouping of trees and other plants that covers a large area? I was introduced to a little, or Miyawaki, forest this past spring at the Lilac Festival in Warkworth, Ontario. The Peterborough & Area Master Gardeners partnered with the Northumberland Master Gardeners to offer a Native Plant educational event on the same May weekend as the Festival. We had a successful educational event, the Lilac Festival was great fun AND I saw my first little forest!
The Miyawaki forest method was created by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. He developed the idea of restoring damaged ecosystems by layering various species of native trees, shrubs and ground cover. A site is chosen and prepared by layering cardboard and mulch. Various species of young native plants are then planted close together in a relatively small area, as compared to traditional planting methods, for the number of plants chosen. This method has been used in urban areas to demonstrate native plant forest environments.
The Miyawaki method of planting a forest is relatively new to Canada but there are more of this type of forest creation popping up across the country. All mixed native plant forests have many benefits including improving air quality, providing wildlife habitat, sequestering carbon and more. However, even though the Miyawaki forest creation method is a fairly new concept, it is bringing the forest closer to people by getting the benefits, and importance, of forests more widely noticed just because it is a relatively new concept. I know that I enjoyed looking at the plants in the Warkworth little forest. It gave me ideas about what I could do on my own property. Let’s face it, a walk through a forest, even a little one, is always a relaxing way to spend an afternoon!
For more information, check out the links below:
The Many Benefits of the Miniscule but Mighty Miyawaki Forests
Miyawaki Forest – Do Mini-Forests Really Work?
Green Communities Canada, National Mini Forest Pilot
The Peterborough & Area Master Gardeners 