The aim of the Miyawaki Method is to create an accelerated pathway to re-forestry that mimics the biodiversity of an old growth ecosystem.

By following a few basic steps, Miyawaki Forests can become self-sustaining after three years of light maintenance: Healthy soil and thick mulching to mimic leaf fall, dense planting of potential natural vegetation (PVNs) suited not only to the region but also the specific area, and a diversity of plants that function at every level of a natural old growth forest.

Click here to learn more about the Miyawaki Method. 

Source:  Mini-Forest Revolution by Hannah Lewis

The Miyawaki Method is remarkably adaptable. It can be used on spaces as small as a parking spot or as large as hundreds of acres, and works across many soil and landscape types without costly earthwork. Developed by Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, this method has restored ecosystems around the world, with more than 4,000 forests planted so far.

The cultivation of Food Forests is a method for growing fruits and vegetables that is focused on mimicking a forest’s structure. By creating a complex ecosystem of plants, animals, and microorganisms, food forests increase the biodiversity and sustainability of a garden space.

Layering plant-life is key to this method of growing. It allows for relatively small plots of land to recreate the three-dimensional quality of natural forests, which are generally comprised of seven layers: canopy/overstory, understory, vines, shrubs, herbaceous, groundcover, rhizosphere, and mycelial.

This interactive network of layering is what makes natural forests such healthy, whole ecosystems. Each register of plants supports the others, creating a self-sustainable, perennial environment for all our neighbors, human and otherwise.

By recreating this process in ForestR pocket parks, we hope to find more efficient and long-lasting solutions to food insecurity in our communities.

As an organization based in Bay Area, we take pride in supporting both old- and new-growth redwoods in ForestR pocket parks and otherwise.

The idea for ForestR.org was born during a family walk through a redwood grove. Monumental trees shaded lush fern gullies, swollen creeks, and thriving wildlife. Yet these were not old-growth, as they appeared but, second- and third-generation trees planted in the wake of the East Bay’s vast deforestation during the 1850s and 1860s.

The original giants were logged to near extinction to build the emerging city of San Francisco. Today, less than 5% of California’s old-growth has survived, yet their legacy lives on in the new-growth redwood forests protected and nurtured by local communities.

Many of our ForestR parks double as vegetable gardens. These parks serve many intertwining functions within our community: growing produce, providers of education, and sources of food sustainability experimentation.

Much of the food grown in our gardens is donated to local food banks and community programs. With the increasing expense of fresh produce, we hope to support our neighbors by ensuring they have access to healthy, locally grown foods.

Our veggie gardens also double as places of learning for our community. Volunteers who join in our Green Days or attend special educational events learn how to prepare, plant, maintain, and harvest garden plots. Outside organizations also often contact us to host their own classes, from beginners’ gardening for children to cooking classes with freshly harvested vegetables.

A portion of the produce grown in ForestR gardens is left to go to seed for collection. These seeds are sorted and donated to our Seed Library, located at the Castro Valley Public Library. We encourage all community members to visit our Seed Library and share their crops’ bounty or take out donated seeds and start their own home gardens.

A native plant is one which has naturally occurred in its region or ecosystem for thousands of years without any need for human introduction.

Over generations of evolution, these plants have formed an interwoven community with the other plants and organisms in their natural environment. Their symbiotic relationship means these plants are best equipped to support local wildlife and microorganisms.

Native plants have far-reaching effects in our community. As the foundation of local wildlife’s food web, they are essential resources all life in the environment relies on. They work many jobs, as sources of food, pollinators, carbon cleaners and more. These plants have also adapted to their natural climates and are in need of less supplemental watering and fertilization.