Two companies have been busy planting beautiful urban microforests, and the results are astounding.
"They become magnets for human connection," Elise Van Middelem, CEO of Sugi, told Euronews. "People take respite during the heat of the day or visit to read a book; at other times the forest becomes a place of dancing, learning, discussion, and leisure. They are self-sustaining within 2-3 years from an ecological standpoint, but at a much deeper level, community members become stewards of the land itself."
Van Meddelem went on to explain that proximity to forests has significant mental health benefits. Urban forests also have loads of other benefits. For one, they provide great homes for pollinators and other wildlife. The added shade of trees also combats urban heat islands, which are especially prominent in lower-income areas. Deep root systems help prevent soil erosion and increase the capacity for capturing water during potential flood events. Of course, trees are great at sequestering carbon and increasing local air quality too.
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Sugi has used the Miyawaki method to plant 230 forests in 52 cities. This technique is a way of planting extra-dense forests in urban environments. It involves restoring soil to near-natural status with multiple layers of amendments and then densely planting native forbs, shrubs, and trees together. This arrangement produces competition that can get trees to full maturity up to 10 times faster than normal.
Sugi isn't the only organization leveraging this innovation in forestry. Since 2022, Earthwatch Europe has planted 285 tiny forests in 52 cities. None of that is possible without community engagement, however.
"It is necessary to effectively engage stakeholders in the community and get resident buy-in," said Van Middelem. "A pocket forest cannot be planted without their approval. However, none of these challenges are insurmountable."
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