Mini-Forest Revolution: Rewilding our communities for Climate Resilience

What holds some 500 species, sequesters 500 lbs. CO2/year, is several degrees cooler than its surroundings, soaks up lots of rainwater, and is co-created by children and their elders in spaces no bigger than a tennis court? A “mini-forest” planted using the Miyawaki Method, of course! After a couple of years of as-needed weeding and watering, these nascent forests form a canopy and - like any other healthy ecosystem - become self-sufficient. We'll discuss what a mini-forest is, what it can do for your neighborhood, what goes into planting one, and why people all over the world are organizing their communities to plant mini-forests in the small spaces around where they live and work.

About the Speaker

Hanna Lewis Headshot
Hannah Lewis
Grant writer for Renewing the Countryside

Hannah Lewis She is the author of Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World, published in June 2022 by Chelsea Green; a French translation of the book was released in January 2023 by Editions Eyrolles in France. Hannah has an MS in Sustainable Agriculture and Sociology from Iowa State University and a BA in Environmental Studies from Middlebury College. She lives in Minneapolis, where she works for the non-profit Renewing the Countryside to build sustainable local and regional food systems and plant mini-forests.

Environmental Speaker Series

The Environmental Speaker Series is hosted by the College of the Environment at Western Washington University.

The Series is free and open to the public. Talks are held each Thursday at 4:30 pm in Academic Instructional Center West room 204 - AW-204. Talks will also be streamed via zoom. Register with the Alumni Association for the zoom link. Paid parking is available in lot C.

Learn more about the Environmental Speaker Series
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