Environment
Community members and local organizations gathered to plant a Miyawaki forest
Getting your hands dirty, planting native trees and spending time outdoors, what better way to celebrate Earth Day?
To launch the Network of Nature and Green Communities Canada’s National Mini Forest Pilot program, residents from Richmond, B.C., gathered in a small plot at Terra Nova Rural Park for a kick-off planting event. The day was a little cloudy with a light drizzle, but even the overcast skies couldn’t stop these enthusiastic participants from taking action to support this pilot program.
“I hope that today people are inspired to continue planting more trees and looking for ways that they can take direct action in their own backyards or within their own communities,” said Emily Amon, green infrastructure manager at Green Communities Canada.
Through community events like the National Mini Forest Pilot program, the Network of Nature — a collaboration between Canadian Geographic, Dougan and Associates and the TD Ready Commitment — aims to educate communities about the importance of native plants and the responsibility to protect Canada’s biodiversity. The planting event at Terra Nova Rural Park was the first of five mini forest events that will take place across Canada in 2023, where a minimum of 2,800 trees will be planted.
Funded through the Government of Canada’s Two Billion Trees program, TD Bank Group and the Greenbelt Foundation, the pilot program aims to address the need for green spaces in urban environments. This is achieved by transforming sites in locations such as Richmond, Toronto, and Hamilton into diverse, fast-growing forests.
During Earth Week, teaching students about healthy environments was top of mind for teachers at Choice School for gifted children in Richmond. Principal Sukhbir Bolina attended the kick-off event with his family and 10 students from the school. The students were eager to get outside and play in the dirt, but Bolina hopes the experience will encourage them to become stewards of the environment.
“When you plant trees, it becomes very personal. You come back a few years later, and you take ownership of the tree that you planted, you nurture it, and you come visit it,” said Bolina. “If every individual did that to a tree, just think of what a better place this could be.”
Learning about native plants can start at any age. Brian and Salima Dixon arrived early to their young daughter Ariela Dixon’s outdoor class when they saw the mini forest being planted in the park. The Dixons saw the event as an opportunity to foster their daughter’s innate curiosity for the natural world.
“She’s really curious about all this kind of stuff, so we brought her in,” said Salima Dixon. “I’m not very handsy, but [we do it] because of my daughter.”
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.
Elaine Decker, a former teacher, was first introduced to the Miyawaki method when she participated in planting a Miyawkai forest at Richmond Secondary School.
“What I like best about the engagement of the Miyawaki forest, particularly in schools, is that the students plant the trees, and they grow up together,” said Decker. “These events can open up a conversation about what can you imagine your life like without a tree?” She believes these initiatives teach children about the value of the natural world because each child learns to care for the trees they’ve planted.
Planting trees also builds relationships between community members. “[We are] a community of people, planting a community of trees,” said Decker.
The mini forest planting event was a collaborative effort, and the resulting forest ecosystem will continue to foster relationships between the community and the environment as it grows.
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