Mini-Forest Revolution-Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World to Rapidly Rewild the World
By Hannah Lewis
I am always looking for achievable climate change solutions that anyone can do.
In this award winning book, Mini-Forest Revolution, author Hannah Lewis describes practical, restorative pathways for an ailing planet using the Miyawaki Mini-Forest Method. Lewis repeatedly emphasizes through the book that these micro-forests in contrast to large-scale tree plantations, are not simply carbon offsetting landscaping but “accelerated ecosystem restorations”. The method was developed by the late Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki (1928-2021) as a way to create a biodiverse, working, indigenous forest ecosystem in decades instead of over hundreds of years.
This popular, globally inspired initiative to transform empty lots and degraded land in our cities and towns into rapidly growing, tiny, biodiverse forests as small as six parking spaces is celebrated in the book’s forward by the environmentalist, entrepreneur, author and activist Paul Hawken. Mini-forests in our urban spaces offer accessible solutions to both biodiversity loss and climate change. They also provide opportunities for humans to reconnect with nature. Hawkens feels that mini-forests offer the most impactful benefit of all climate change solutions since it involves planting biodiverse forests that anyone, anywhere can participate in.
In the first three chapters Lewis introduces the fundamentals of the Miyawaki Method. She emphasizes using indigenous, longer living climax species to accelerate the process of natural ecological succession. She elaborates on Miyawaki’s life, philosophy and scientific foundation and provides examples of his early successful mini-forests established in Japan and India.
Lewis highlights the ecological relationship between forests and soil and water cycles using case studies from places like India, Cameroon and Iran.
The next three chapters shift to cities around the world in places like Paris that are implementing mini-forests for education, ecology and cooling hot urban streets. Lewis shares personal stories from community organizers, volunteers and local governments about overcoming challenges both bureaucratically and ecologically when planting mini-forests. She provides examples of case studies using mini-forest projects along highways in Europe, neighborhoods in the United States and land spaces in India.
In chapter seven which is beautifully titled “Earth’s Living Tissue”, Lewis explores the structure and function of ecosystems. She discusses important topics of biodiversity, soil ecology and the resilience created in ecosystems through species interaction. She highlights the important role humans play through honouring these ecosystems and by viewing Earth’s biosphere as a whole.
This delightful book is both fascinating in its storytelling as well as its practicality as a “how to” and reference source. Lewis ends the book with a step by step Mini-Forest field guide including beautiful coloured pictures of various projects. The detailed index at the end makes this book perfect as a resource for planting your own Miyawaki Method mini-forest.
May the forest be with you.
Submitted by Ann Moolin