Today we celebrate the first day of calendar spring, but also a little known holiday – International Day of Forests. It’s perfect, because it’s today that we’ll be exploring the topic of a microforest, which we’ll be planting together with Forest Maker on Campus during the Spring Festival on the 5th of April.
A pocket forest or microforest is a small but densely wooded green area created using the Miyawaki method. It is an innovative technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki that allows the rapid creation of biodiverse ecosystems even in small spaces.
The method is based on intensive coppicing of seedlings and appropriate soil preparation, making the forest grow twice as fast as traditionally planted trees. It uses native plant species that support each other, creating a stable ecosystem. This creates a green space that promotes biodiversity conservation and improved air quality.
The Micro Forest not only has a positive impact on the environment, but also becomes an educational space for the local community. Teachers, both on and off-campus, will be able to use the site to conduct field activities, nature lessons or environmental workshops. In this way, participants – children, young people and adults – will gain knowledge about the functioning of ecosystems, the protection of biodiversity and the importance of greenery in cities.
Planting Day is the start of a series of workshops in April, during which participants will gain practical skills in caring for the microforest, observing the processes taking place in it and taking care of its development. The project has a primarily local character. It will not only give local residents new ecological competences, but also a space that they can co-create and nurture for years to come.
ABOUT FOREST MAKER
Forest Maker is the only provider in Poland of micro-forests created strictly according to Akira Miyawaki’s method. By combining knowledge, passion and experience, the Forest Maker team guarantees the highest quality and compliance with international standards. Their mission is to bring nature back to cities and create biodiverse, self-sustaining ecosystems that positively impact the environment and community.
The substantive and educational dimension of the event will be taken care of by Dr Kasper Jakubowski – an expert on Miyawaki forests, pioneer of the idea of micro-forests in Poland, green architect, educator and president of the Children in Nature Foundation.
He is supported by a whole team of nature enthusiasts, committed ecologists, experienced botanists and creative thinkers who share a common goal: creating a green future for our cities.
During the Spring Festival, educators from Forest Maker will not only provide instruction, tools and support during planting, but will also invite you to explore life in dead wood (Decay Corner) and discover the natural world (Nature Tracker Zone). Big and small explorers are invited to plant from 11am!
You can read more about their activities at: https://forestmaker.pl/mikro-las-miyawaki/ and on their Facebook and Instagram profiles.
Event co-sponsored by the Fund for a Just Transition.
