The method is named after the Japanese botanist who established it in the 1970s, Akira Miyawaki. These “pocket forests” have taken root across the world, from the subtropics of S\u00e3o Paolo, Brazil<\/a>, to the temperate zone of Scotland<\/a>, and the high desert<\/a> of Washington state. They can be found in backyards<\/a> and city blocks.<\/p>\n At Attleboro High School, sophomore Sydney Battle had been learning about the Miyawaki method in an environmental science class, so she was excited to volunteer for planting duty. She cradled a sapling by the roots before patting it into the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to place a different variety of tree or plant in each hole,\u201d Battle explained.<\/p>\n The Miyawaki method calls for diverse native vegetation that will reach varying heights when full-grown. Each sapling or young shrub is planted about 18 inches apart.<\/p>\n In such tight quarters, the canopy species \u2014 the tallest of the bunch \u2014 race toward the sunlight before they can be overshadowed by their neighbors. All the other species clamor for nutrients and sunlight. The competition forces the forest to mature in 20 years, rather than the usual 200.<\/p>\n In as little as five years, the planting should be able to survive without help from humans. The trees will remain shorter than they otherwise would be, because the plants are all so close together.<\/p>\n Miyawaki designed the method to reforest industrial areas<\/a> in Japan, which had been cleared of natural vegetation after World War II to make way for manufacturing. He worried that without native trees, Japan\u2019s population would be vulnerable to natural disasters like floods and fires.<\/p>\n Organizers of the Attleboro project hope it helps protect their city from flooding driven by climate change.<\/p>\n In 2023, a storm dumped seven inches of rain<\/a> on Attleboro. Water pooled on compacted soil, concrete streets and sidewalks with nowhere to drain. With a warming climate, the atmosphere is able to hold more moisture,\u00a0so scientists say residents can expect more extreme rain in the years to come.<\/p>\n Rob Moir, director of the Ocean River Institute, a Cambridge-based non-profit, raised funds and helped plan<\/a> Attleboro\u2019s Miyawaki forest. He said its root structures would break through the compacted soil, making it more absorbent for floodwater in the immediate\u00a0area.<\/p>\n While Miyawaki forests have gained popularity in recent years, not every scientist is sold on trendy technique as a climate solution.<\/p>\n Narkis Morales is a forestry expert at the Bioeconomy Institute of Sciences in New Zealand. He reviewed<\/a> dozens of scientific studies on the planting method and found scant evidence\u00a0that Miyawaki forests are better than other forestry methods at capturing carbon, increasing biodiversity or speeding up plant growth.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps there are better options,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Miyawaki method also requires vigorous soil preparation and hundreds of saplings, which can lead to an hefty price tag, according to Morales.<\/p>\n “You are applying a one-size-fits-all thing,\u201d said Morales. \u201cSome sites, they don’t need it.\u201d<\/p>\n In Cambridge, city officials have installed three Miyawaki forests and said they\u2019re pleased with the investment. A pocket forest in Danehy Park grows atop a former landfill<\/a> where crews once dumped debris from the MBTA\u2019s Red Line extension.<\/p>\n Andrew Putnam, Cambridge\u2019s superintendent of urban forestry and landscapes, said each installation cost about $25,000, and they\u2019ve been a big hit with residents.<\/p>\n The Miyawaki forests are \u201cby far the most well-received urban forestry program we have,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Cambridge has a goal<\/a> to cover 30% of its landscape with tree canopy and plant 1,250 trees per year. Putnam said he hopes this will improve quality of life for city residents and reduce urban heat.<\/p>\n Miyawaki forests can present challenges. Before settling on Danehy Park, for example, Putnam said it was hard to find a site with 4,000 available square feet. Then, there was the sumac.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a famously resilient species. That\u2019s why Putnam wanted to plant a native variety in the forest. But the nursery raising saplings for the project came up short on a few other plants and subbed in some extra sumac \u2014 three times the intended amount.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThey outperformed everything,\u201d said Putnam.<\/p>\n Even as a summer drought stymied the other greenery, the sumac thrived. Putnam had to reach into the forest with his shears to stop it from choking everything else out.<\/p>\n Still, \u201cfailure is definitely not how I would categorize it,\u201d said Putnam.<\/p>\n He applied the lesson, and others, to the Miyawaki forests he planted at Cambridge\u2019s Greene-Rose Heritage Park<\/a> and Peabody Elementary <\/a>School. And he’s shared what he\u2019s learned with others hoping to plant pocket forests in the Northeast.<\/p>\n John Rogan, a professor of geography at Clark University who studies urban planting, called the Miyawaki method \u201cfashionable.\u201d<\/p>\n He’s\u00a0worked with a team in Worcester, where city officials received a grant to plant two Miyawaki forests. Rogan said the proposal was widely popular with residents because the city experienced an invasive beetle infestation<\/a> that forced crews to take down thousands of trees.<\/p>\n \u201cMany cities are longing for public participation and involvement,\u201d said Rogan. His research<\/a> suggests that community buy-in is crucial for urban tree survival.<\/p>\n Though the science behind Miyawaki forests may be unproven,\u00a0the concept that trees can help cities adapt to a changing climate<\/a> is. Studies have shown their shade can cool heat islands<\/a> in urban neighborhoods, and their roots can soak up stormwater.<\/p>\n Rogan said that Miyawaki forests are best suited for concrete-filled areas that need a boost of greenery. But in any environment, \u201cany type of greenery is better than none,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In April, there was a frozen, patchy, underused baseball field behind Attleboro High School. \u201c\u200aIt feels dead,\u201d said…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":696141,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[192,79],"class_list":["post-696140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=696140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696140\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/696141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=696140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=696140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=696140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0505_miyawaki-forest04-1.jpg\")
A Miyawaki forest planted by Attleboro community members in Capron Park in Attleboro. (Jesse Costa\/WBUR)![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0505_miyawaki-forest03.jpg\")
A Miyawaki forest planted by Attleboro High School students in Capron Park in Attleboro. (Jesse Costa\/WBUR)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0607_miyawaki-danehy-1.jpg\")
The Miyawaki forest in Danehy Park in Cambridge. (Robin Lubbock\/WBUR)![\"Smooth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0607_miyawaki-danehy-8.jpg\")
Smooth witherod at the Miyawaki forest in Danehy Park. (Robin Lubbock\/WBUR)<\/p>\n