To launch the National Mini Forest Pilot, residents of Richmond, B.C., gathered in a small plot at Terra Nova Rural Park for a kick-off planting event on April 22, 2023. 

“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. (Source)

On September 30, 2023, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP), in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Pocket Community Association (PCA), and the Network of Nature, hosted a community event to plant the Pocket Tiny Forest.

This innovative project is one of the first of its kind in Toronto, bringing the ecological benefits of tiny forests to the Pocket neighbourhood. Over the summer, TRCA conducted horticultural soil sampling at the designated planting location and finalized site preparation, including staking out boundaries, suppressing weed growth with cardboard, enriching the soil with compost and mulch, and installing deer fencing to protect the area from wildlife and pedestrians.

This tiny forest represents not only a green oasis in Toronto, but also a shining example of what communities can achieve when they come together to embrace nature. (Source)

In September 2023, approximately 1,300 native trees, shrubs and groundcover plants were planted with the help of the community at the City of Guelph’s first mini forest demonstration site in York Road Park. Canopy tree species planted at the 500 square metre site included sugar maple, red maple, black walnut, white pine, black cherry, white oak and red oak. Among the understory and groundcover species planted were silky dogwood, American hazel, American plum, fragrant sumac, black raspberry, witch hazel, mapleleaf viburnum, broad-leaved sedge, woodland strawberry and zig zag goldenrod. (Source)

On October 14 and 16, 2023, the City of Hamilton planted 900 diverse native trees and shrubs for the National Mini Forest Pilot at Johnson Tew Arboretum.

On September 20, 2023, the City of Markham planted 300 trees in a 100 square metre plot in Milne Dam Conservation Park. The park is named after the Milne family, who operated a dam and mill on the Rouge River in the 1820s. Historical imagery indicates the site was used for pasture prior to its purchase by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in the 1950s and frequently flooded. The mini-forest is expected to help with stormwater management and flood protection.