The public is invited to help plant Princeton’s first microforest in an underutilized area of grass and invasive plants in Quarry Park.
Planting will be organized in shifts on Saturday, October 4 (rain date Sunday, October 5). Advance registration for your preferred time slot is encouraged at princeton.civilspace.io/en/projects/quarry-park-microforest-6ebf. Residents interested in learning more about the project can also stop by at any point to speak with organizers from the Environmental Commission, Shade Tree Commission, and Sustainable Princeton.
Microforests, also known as Miyawaki forests or tiny, mini, or pocket forests, were conceptualized in the 1970s in Japan by plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki. Trees and shrubs of varying sizes are densely planted to create a forest that matures in 20-30 years rather than the typical 100 years. Shade from the canopy prevents weeds and protects the understory, allowing the forest to become self-sustaining in just two to three years.
Princeton’s Microforest at Quarry Park will consist of many native tree and shrub species found in the remaining old-growth forests of the region including red maple, white oak, American hornbeam, tulip poplar, blackgum, sweet pepperbush, nannyberry and spicebush. Visitors to the microforest will be able to walk a trail through the plantings and sit on benches to view the microforest.
Those wishing to support the microforest can also make a donation to the Shade Tree Trust Reserve. Donors will be recognized on the project’s website.
