Preserving the green cover that makes up our surroundings is something that we are very passionate about here at Roadfolk magazine. Without that precious vegetation, our quality of life drastically reduces. From the air we breathe to the animals and birds that make up our ecosystem, everything around us gets affected the moment we cut down trees.
Development and Urbanisation is a vital part of our life. With a rapidly growing global population, the need for more housing and public space is only normal, but should that mean we turn our back on the environment? Since our theme for the month of September is Nature, we want to shine a light on a topic that is close to our heart— Micro Forests.
If you haven’t read our previous article on Micro Forests, here’s a quick recap. A micro forest is a patch of unused land in a metropolitan area or an inhabitable and deserted field, that is converted into a dense and thriving mini forest. This idea was first proposed and initiated by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki and was hence named the Miyawaki method.
How much land does one require to plant a forest? Surprisingly the answer to that is, not much! You can grow a micro forest in an area that’s just about the size of a tennis court. Once you find a suitable patch of land that won’t be touched or demolished, it’s time to pick out your saplings.
According to the Miyawaki method, it would be ideal to pick 30 or more plant species that are native to your state or locality. This helps mimic a local forest instead of a plantation and ensures that the saplings can adapt to the changing environment and thrive. Each sapling is planted close together, generally 3-4 different ones per square meter. This causes the micro forest to become 30 times denser and 100 times more biodiverse than a regular forest.
Mirco forests or Miyawaki forests are designed to grow 10 times faster and regenerate the land in less time than the regular 70-plus years it takes a forest to recover on its own. Initially, just like any project or living thing, the saplings will require a little attention and care. You can water the forests every once in a while during the hot months to ensure that the baby trees receive the water that they need. We promise that your patience will bear fruit! In just 3 years, your micro forest will become maintenance-free and also help reduce the carbon footprint of the area.
Since micro forests are designed to have levels of forest canopy and since they are much younger than other forests, more sunlight penetrates through the top and reaches the bottom. This encourages the growth of flowering plants and therefore attracts pollinators likes bees and butterflies. Once the trees start flowering and producing fruits, native bird species and animals like squirrels will start making their homes in the forest. This in turn cultivates a thriving ecosystem inside your micro forest.
While small disconnected micro forests will never truly be able to replace the benefits of a lush natural widespread forest, it is a small step that we can take to balance out the urbanisation caused by us. According to the Stockholm Environment Institute, there are over a hundred Miyawaki forests already thriving in India. If you and your neighbours decide to take up this brilliant initiative, you can be a part of the movement that increases India’s green cover from 25% to the government’s goal of 33%.
Each and every one of us here at Roadfolk Magazine believes in sharing stories of all the incredible people who are making a difference to our planet along with the animals and people living on it. If you are one such person or if you know any of these amazing human beings, we’d love to feature their story! Simply drop us an email at roadfolk@mohitgupta.biz and we’ll get back to you shortly.
Written by Mohit Gupta
Week 35 September 2021
