Join Hannah Lewis and Maya Dutta in a discussion of Lewis’ new book, Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World (Chelsea Green, 2022). The Miyawaki Method is a unique approach to tree-planting conceived by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. In the book, Lewis explains how densely planted forests the size of a tennis court grow quickly and are much more biodiverse than those planted by conventional methods. She explores the science behind why mini-forests work and the myriad environmental benefits, including: cooling urban heat islands, establishing wildlife corridors, building soil health, sequestering carbon, creating pollinator habitats, and more.

Today, the Miyawaki Method is witnessing a worldwide surge in popularity. Learn about mini-forests that have sprung up across the globe and the people who are planting them―from a young forest along the concrete alley of the Beirut River in Lebanon, to a backyard forest planted by tiny-forest champion Shubhendu Sharma in India. Maya organized the northeastern US region’s first Miyawaki-based mini-forest at Danehy Park in Cambridge, MA, in September 2021, and is enthusiastically stewarding its growth and advising neighboring communities on related projects.