Coming Soon: Cambridge’s first Miyawaki Forest will boost biodiversity and
                        climate resilience
       This September, the first Miyawaki Forest in the Northeast US will be planted in Danehy Park in
       North Cambridge. A collaboration between Biodiversity for a Livable Climate and the SUGi
       Project, in partnership with the city of Cambridge, this microforest pioneers the innovative
       Miyawaki method of reforestation in this region.
       The Miyawaki method is noted for its hallmarks of dense planting, biodiversity, native species,
       and multilayered design to recreate the complexity of a native forest. In examples around the
       world, Miyawaki Forests have demonstrated remarkably high growth rates and survival rates,
       due to the planting method that fosters symbiotic relationships between plants and with fungal
       and microbial life in the soil.
       Miyawaki Forests offer an opportunity to reestablish healthy forests in urban environments (as
       well as suburban or rural settings). They cool their surrounding areas, mitigating the urban heat
       island effect, support biodiverse life, including pollinators on which ecosystems and food webs
       rely, buffer against flooding and erosion, help balance water cycles to fight drought conditions,
       sequester carbon, and mediate pollution. They give communities a gathering place to interact
       with nature and learn about native ecology. This forest includes plants with significance to
       Indigenous communities, and offers an opportunity to learn about native plants and their usage
       in food and medicine, as well as the ecosystems and wildlife present in Cambridge and the
       surrounding areas.
       With the help of volunteers, the Danehy Park Forest will be planted this September. Read more
       about the project here, and contact us with questions at staff@bio4climate.org (or
       maya.dutta@bio4climate.org).