National Mini Forest Program Kicks Off In Richmond, BC

May 19, 2023 - 2 years ago

Green Communities Canada (GCC) is excited to have launched the National Mini Forest Pilot program on Earth Day this year.

National Mini Forest Program Kicks Off In Richmond, BC — *Photo: Green Communities Canada*

The kick-off planting event, coordinated by the City of Richmond as part of its Earth Day celebration, in collaboration with Garden City Conservation Society, took place at Terra Nova Rural Park, Richmond, on April 22.

The National Mini Forest Pilot program is led by GCC in collaboration with Dougan & Associates, Canadian Geographic, and Wilder Climate Solutions through the Network of Nature. The program addresses the urgent need for green spaces in urban environments by transforming sites into diverse fast-growing forests.

“We are very pleased to be the first city in western Canada to be part of this program and plant a mini forest on municipal property,” said City of Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “As part of the City’s Earth Week event, this tree planting at Terra Nova Rural Park demonstrates what the community, non-profit organizations, and all levels of government can achieve by working together to make our planet a more resilient place for future generations to come.”

The pilot program — funded through the Government of Canada’s Two Billion Trees program, TD Bank Group and the Greenbelt Foundation — will enable GCC and partners to plant at least 2,800 trees in 2023, across five cities including Richmond, Toronto, Markham, Hamilton and Guelph. Each planting event will be coordinated by a local partner organization which builds the critical grassroots support to ensure the forests thrive.

“The National Mini Forest Pilot invests in local communities by providing the funding, training, and peer learning that’s needed to accelerate on-the-ground climate action,” says GCC’s Executive Director Brianna Salmon, “This pilot will demonstrate the incredible potential for citizens, municipal governments, and non-profit organizations to grow climate-resilient cities together.”

Mini forests will contribute to Canada’s goal to plant two billion trees by 2030 and are great tools to address climate change and biodiversity loss. Mini forests are communities of native trees and shrubs planted tightly together in a technique modelled after the Miyawaki Forest method. This planting strategy emphasizes dense plantings, diverse native species, rich soil preparation, and multilayered design to mimic the complexity of a mature native forest. Mini forests provide environmental and social benefits: from sequestering carbon to increasing biodiversity, and providing necessary habitat for wildlife.

“Planting mini-forests provides an incredible opportunity to grow urban forests fast – using a unique planting strategy modelled after the philosophy of Dr. Akira Miyawaki. Our mini-forest strategy involves deep soil preparation, and dense plantings of diverse native tree species. This creates fast-growing tree stands with a similar structure and function of a mature forest, even in small urban plots. We are so excited to support the city of Richmond’s leadership in bringing this model of urban afforestation into the mainstream through this pilot, and to be building capacity to grow this movement in cities across Canada alongside our partners from the Network of Nature.” said Emily Amon, Green Infrastructure Manager, Green Communities Canada.

“We are thrilled to partner with leaders like Natural Resources Canada’s 2 Billion Trees initiative, TD Bank Group, Green Communities Canada, Dougan and Associates and the City of Richmond to celebrate Earth Day by advancing the uptake of mighty Mini-Forests, that fight climate change and biodiversity loss, all while growing the Network of Nature,” said Aran O’Carroll, National Director, Environment, Canadian Geographic.

“At TD, we believe in the importance of taking care of our planet for future generations. Focusing on and investing in programs that help grow and steward quality green spaces in urban and suburban areas is key for our communities and the environment,” said Carolyn Scotchmer, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, TD Bank Group. “We are proud to support Green Communities Canada and the Nature of Network through the TD Ready Commitment to help advance green space projects in cities across Canada designed to help mitigate the potential impacts of climate change.”

The Miyawaki Method
Participants planted the mini forest using the Miyawaki method. Miyawaki forests are densely planted forests of native species from four different categories: canopy, sub-canopy, small-understory trees and shrubs. Trees are planted in close proximity to increase competition for access to light, causing them to grow upwards faster. Native plants also attract other species, such as pollinators, who rely on them during various stages of their lifecycle. The resulting ecosystem is small in size but rich in life. Source: Canadian Geographic

Source: Royal Canadian Geographical Society