Green Communities Canada and the Network of Nature Plant Mini Forests

Mini forests also known as Miyawaki Forests, are dense, biodiverse pockets of trees planted through a strategy developed by Dr. Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s. Designed for urban environments, mini-forests are bringing the natural woodlands and tree canopies to cities in Canada. To continue to protect and ensure a safe, sustainable environment for future generations, revitalization efforts to green our urban areas are key. Planting the right trees, in the right areas, ensures the growth of our natural environment to fight climate change and restore nature.  

Mini forests or Miyawaki Forests, are dense, biodiverse pockets of trees planted through a strategy developed by Dr. Akira Miyawaki. Designed for urban environments, mini-forests are bringing the natural woodlands and tree canopies to cities in Canada

From 2022/2023 Green Communities Canada and partners from the Network of Nature (Canadian Geographic and Dougan & Associates) developed a scalable National Mini Forest Pilot program. Through this initiative, and Green Communities Canada’s Living Cities Canada Fund, 15 mini forest sites were established on publicly accessible land as community-planting events in 2023, planting greater than 7500 trees! Core investment in this program came from NRCan’s 2 Billion Tree program, TD Bank, and Definity Insurance Foundation, with additional funding to support sites provided by Greenbelt Foundation, Balsam Foundation, and All One Fund. 

The four sites supported by Greenbelt Foundation took place in the following locations:  

• St. George’s Anglican Church in Georgetown, Ontario – this Halton Hill’s church is adjacent to silver creek, a tributary of the Credit River and a Greenbelt urban river valley. The 100m2 mini forest was planted with leadership from Credit Valley Conservation Authority and local volunteers, on a portion of the church property that had been previously maintained as turf grass, installing 396 trees and shrubs from 32 different native species.  
• Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario – This 100m2 site, locally coordinated by Green Venture, was planted with 300 native trees and shrubs, adjacent to another mini forest plot planted by students at Hillfield Strathallan College earlier this year. Having these two plots side by side will be a great way to compare two methods of site preparation and planting, contributing to ongoing research supported by Vineland Institute.   
• Johnson Tew Park in Dundas, Ontario – This 300m2 site, led by the City of Hamilton saw the installation of over 900 plants within an existing park space on the northwest outskirts of Hamilton/ Dundas Ontario.  
• Humber River Lodge in Toronto, Ontario – this 300m2 site in Toronto, along the Humber River was led by RainscapeTO, a social enterprise of Toronto Green Community. The project was supported by a local urban indigenous youth agency (ENAGB) and included the installation of 600+ native and culturally significant trees.  

All in all, the funds provided by the Greenbelt Foundation led to the planting of over 2200 trees and shrubs this year!  

Even the smallest mini forest project can have a big impact. These sites empower volunteers to transform their communities. They contribute to climate resilience by reducing heat and floods, support biodiversity, sequester carbon, and can provide greater access to greenspace, particularly in underserved areas. The events attract media, raise awareness, and build community empowerment and capacity for bigger projects in the future.  

GCC is so grateful for all the support we’ve received to help bring these fantastic projects to light! Thank you, Greenbelt Foundation, and Greenbelt Foundation supporters for enabling these sites to be planted. Your contributions have had a significant impact on transforming communities, and re-establishing biodiversity for years to come!  

Learn more about Green Communities Canada and mini forests here.

Image credit: Green Communities Canada.