Green Communities Canada

A Mini Forest - also known as a micro forest, tiny forest, pocket forest, or little forest - is a community of native trees and shrubs planted tightly together in an urban or suburban site based on the Miyawaki method. This method was first developed in Japan by the late botanist Akira Miyawaki, and has since been adopted across the globe, helped along by Shubhendu Sharma’s TED talk on Miyawaki forests in 2014. 

Mini forests provide a variety of ecosystem services that offer both environmental and social benefits. From reducing air pollution to increasing biodiversity, and providing necessary habitat for wildlife, these small plots can have a big impact on their local environments. They provide much-needed green spaces for people to enjoy, offering mental health benefits and improving air quality. Mini forests also help reduce runoff, prevent flooding and mitigate the urban heat island effect.