Mini Forests
Create more habitat for wildlife and mitigate the impacts of development with mini forests!
Through the Network of Nature we explore opportunities to collaborate with organizations, corporations, and municipalities to plant biodiverse forests. While mini forests can be grown in diverse, small spaces, the ecological impacts are significant.
Small spaces can become rich places for environmental and social health
Mini Forests, also known as tiny forests or Miyawaki forests, are small-scale native urban forests consisting of trees and shrubs. They are created using dense plantings of diverse locally-adapted climax forest species, with soil preparation and multilayered design to mimic the complexity of a native forest.
Mini Forests provide a variety of ecosystem services that benefit people, plants and wildlife, including:
- Mitigating the urban heat island effect by moderating temperature fluctuations
- Providing green spaces for people to enjoy, offering mental health benefits and opportunities for participatory action
- Sequestering carbon and reducing air pollution
- Increasing biodiversity by providing habitat for wildlife
Improving watershed health by reducing runoff and overland flooding through infiltration
We offer planning and installation of mini forests, or support for you to do it yourself! We have comprehensive resources available including a mini forest growth tracker, and training resources.
Better places for ecosystems to thrive are better places for people too.
Mini forests are a strategic way to transform diverse spaces into thriving ecosystems. Join us in our mission to plant, maintain, and monitor mini forests in communities in Canada from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
