Belmont High School Miniforest
In Fall 2025, the Miyawaki Forest Action Belmont (MFAB), under the guidance of Biodiversity For a Livable Climate (Bio4Climate), will be planting a mini-forest using the Miyawaki Forest at the Belmont High School.
The Miyawaki Forest Action Belmont (MFAB) is an intergenerational group of local residents dedicated to establishing Miyawaki forests in Belmont. Our focus is on education and community building, providing Belmont a hands-on place to learn about environmental stewardship and biodiversity.
We are seeking volunteers to help bring Belmont’s first mini-forest to life by planting hundreds of native plants. Your support will turn this vision into reality, benefitting both human and non-human communities.
Why plant a micro forest at Belmont High School?
- Educate students about biodiversity and natural systems
- Create an outdoor space for teaching science, language, and visual arts
- Empower students to positively influence their environment
- Improve stormwater absorption on site
- Mitigate the urban heat island effect
- Strengthen the sense of community within Belmont Town and Schools
If you’d like to be part of this transformative project, please fill out this sign-up form to express your interest in volunteering.
The forest will need stewards and volunteers to plant seedlings, spread mulch, organize materials and volunteers, and take care of the forest after planting, including wedding, litter removal and data collection. While we are prioritizing participation from Belmont residents and high school students, everyone is welcome to join. Kids are encouraged to get involved, too!
We look forward to connecting with you and collectively healing our shared Earth in harmony with native plants, microorganisms, sunlight, and natural cycles. Once the final planting date is set, we will share more details via email.
Get Involved: Have questions about volunteering and more? Email us at miniforestbelmont@gmail.com
Grow With Us: Help turn Belmont High School into a biodiversity hotspot—donate here!
About Miyawaki Forests
The Miyawaki Forest is an ultra dense, biodiverse pocket forest that recreates the complexity of natural forests and the relationships and processes that help them grow strong and resilient. By giving home to a vast array of native species, they boost the biodiversity of the area and nurture pollinators, supporting and restoring ecosystems.
They sequester carbon in the soil, reduce air pollution and soil contamination, improve water absorption to buffer against flooding and erosion, and cool the surrounding area to mitigate the urban heat island effect. They also create a living classroom for people and communities to learn about native ecology, engage in stewardship, and experience the interconnectedness of the natural world.
Related Resources and Links
- Our main Miyawaki Forest Program page
- Bio4Climate’s Miyawaki Forest video playlist
- ‘A Little Forest with a Towering Task‘ – Short documentary on the Miyawaki planting process and the ‘grounded hope’ behind the work
- ‘Tiny Forests with Big Benefits‘ – A feature of our Cambridge forests and other Miyawaki plantings in The New York Times
- Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World by Hannah Lewis, published by Chelsea Green in June 2022
Updates
Coming soon!