Mini-Forest Project in Rochester
Our First Mini-Forest Took Root on May 3, 2025!
Over 100 people came to the Ribbon Cutting Celebration on May 3 to celebrate the planting of the mini-forest.
This project collaborates with the City of Rochester's DPW, Parks Department, City Beautiful Commission, Rochester Tree Committee and Rochester Pollinators. Our generous sponsors, The Community Foundation of Greater Rochester and First State Bank, have made this funding possible through their grant opportunities. We would like to thank our ribbon-cutting day partner, Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Rochester Mini-forest was planted in a vacant lot that was previously a garbage dump on the edge of the city in a grassy area near the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Community Garden space, located near Wilcox and Woodward. It will be an excellent way to reclaim vacant land for ecological restoration, and watching this little forest grow will be exciting!
The 1,000 sq ft plot will be densely planted with 290 diverse native species of canopy trees, understory trees, and shrubs, providing habitats for countless creatures, including native pollinators! Many plants that will be planted are identified as larval hosts or will offer nectar when they bloom in the spring. A path and a few benches for people to enjoy are also part of the design.
Link to a video that tells about mini-forests and the Rochester Mini-Forest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TaZugobqCM&t=3001s
Approx location of Mini-forest (red marker)
Please read on for more about Mini-forests . . .
What's a Mini-forest?
Sometimes called a pocket forest or micro forest, a mini forest is a small plot, usually measuring 1,000 sq feet, densely planted with a variety of native trees, understory trees, and native shrubs.
Japanese ecologist Akira Miyawaki developed this concept in the 1970s as a way to reforest deforested land while preserving native ecology. Mini-forests have now been planted worldwide, with many in India and Japan.
The idea is now catching on here in North America, with a growing number of communities in the United States starting to plant mini-forests, like Rochester, Michigan. In 2022, the Canadian government launched a nationwide Green Communities Initiative that includes free online training for planting a mini-forest — a training open to anyone who wants to learn more.
The design is simple but requires multiple saplings, each of 15 to 30 different varieties of native trees and shrubs. All are densely planted, with 3 seedlings per square yard. Miyazaki found that planting in this way promoted faster growth at the beginning, and the plot filled in quickly.
The tree service company Leaf & Limb asserts that quick-growing Miniforests "accumulate carbon, reduce water runoff, create healthy soil, and provide a foundation for an abundance of life."
Photo: https://one-more-tree.org/blog/2024/06/14/miyawaki-pocket-forest-comprehensive-guide/
Why Plant a Mini-forest?
Many good reasons exist to plant a dense, biodiverse Mini-forest in a suburban or urban area.
Trees and other green plants are the lungs of our planet. They take in carbon dioxide and transform it into oxygen, precisely the opposite of our respiratory system. They need the oxygen they produce and release carbon dioxide, which green plants need for their nutrients.
Trees also contribute the following to the health of humans and our environment:
- retain soil moisture in dry times
- reduce carbon in the atmosphere
- reduce surface temperatures by up to 53°F (12°C)
- reduce flooding by taking up water
- reduce soil erosion
- improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety
- improving physical health by lowering blood pressure
- supports a vast diversity of life (including many pollinators!)
Globally, each day, 42 billion trees are cut down. (see infographic below)
In addition to tree loss for agriculture, development, and logging, wildfires have also increased due to climate change. The World Resources Institute reports that the rate of wildfires on Earth "increased by about 5.4% per year" between 2001 and 2023.
When we plant a tree, we take a step toward creating a healthier world. When we plant a diverse Mini-forest, the impact is substantially more significant. Instead of one plant for a habitat, a Mini-forest grows into a small ecosystem. Instead of one tree, the people and creatures who visit will experience an oasis of green, burgeoning with life.
More information and resources not linked above:
Humans Need Trees for Health
Tiny Forests With Big Benefits (NYT)
Leaf & Limb: Basics of Planting a Pocket Forest
Link the Mini-Forest Tree & Shrub Choices - 90% Indigenous to Oakland County
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f95VacYzyqCfps-BJinSdBzEnXcZinfZXHn4-fMSFxs/edit?tab=t.0
Link to Cambridge, Massachusetts Mini-Forest Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKcy0YAzeYU&t=102s
Trees have complex lives, and they communicate with each other through a fungal filament in the soil and chemicals in the air. They help each other fight disease and share nutrients and water through constant cooperation and reciprocity.
Marilyn used the books below for the mini-forest project.
Books to Read:
"Finding the Mother Tree," Suzanne Simard
"The Hidden Life of Trees," Peter Wohlleben
"Mini-Forest Revolution," Hannah Lewis
"From Wasteland to Wonder," Basil Camu