Lawfield Elementary School is Getting a Mini Forest!

Green Venture is thrilled to announce that Lawfield Elementary School is getting a mini-forest this fall! Supported by Green Communities Canada and Trees for Life, 400 native trees and shrubs will be planted on school grounds using a technique known as a mini-forest planting, or the Miyawaki Method. 

Conventional Tree Planting vs. Mini Forest Tree Planting - What’s the Difference?

The Miyawaki Method (devised by Akira Miyawaki) is a planting technique that grows dense, fast-growing native forests by planting a mix of native trees and shrubs closely together into nutrient-rich soil. Conventional tree planting involves leaving meters of space between trees - think about the trees along your favourite street or boulevard - the goal is to create a continuous canopy while leaving ample space for each tree to grow to its mature size. Conventional tree planting favours canopy species; these are the tallest trees in a forest composition. Mini-forests are designed to mimic the growth patterns of naturally occurring forests, and involve all four layers of a forest. This allows for a greater biodiversity of tree and shrub species to be planted. 

Why plant a mini forest on school grounds?

School grounds offer a unique opportunity to grow our urban canopy. School grounds often have open space, and many are lacking in shade. Where individual trees on a school ground can get damaged from other activities taking place on a busy school ground, a mini-forest has strength in numbers. They offer classrooms the ability to engage with natural spaces for curriculum-based learning, while providing ecological benefits for the school community and the neighbourhoods they are part of. 

In terms of environmental impact, mini forests have several winning qualities. Mini forests act as a Low Impact Development (LID) feature that naturally filters and absorbs heavy stormwater runoff right where it falls. By packing a dense variety of native trees into a small urban space, mini forests quickly create healthy habitats for local birds and insects. Additionally, these tiny ecosystems work hard to clean the air, cool down hot city streets, and trap carbon pollution in their soil. 

Image 1: Students lay cardboard, move compost and mulch on a hot day in June, 2026. Image 2: In 2024, Lawfield Elementary installed a butterfly-shaped pollinator garden. 

What’s Happening at Lawfield Elementary?

At Lawfield Elementary School, work on the mini-forest began in June 2026, when students, Eco-Club members, teachers, parents, community members, and Green Venture volunteers installed the “forest floor” across a 100-square-meter area of grass. First, a layer of cardboard was placed over the grass and soaked with water to help speed decomposition. The cardboard blocks sunlight, turning the grass into organic matter for the future forest. Next, a layer of rich compost was used to cover the cardboard completely. Then a layer of shredded hardwood mulch was placed to cover the compost. This “site preparation” will sit for two months, and during that time, networks of beneficial bacteria and fungi will start to form, ready to welcome the trees this September.

The excitement continues this fall when we plant the mini-forest. On September 29 and October 1, students and teachers will gather to plant 400 native trees.

We will be planting all four layers of a natural forest:

1. Shrub layer - low-growing bushes (0.5-3 meters tall at maturity)

2. Sub-tree layer - smaller, understory trees (3-8 meters tall at maturity)

3. Sub-canopy layer smaller canopy trees (8-15 meters tall at maturity)

4. Canopy layer - the tallest giants (15-30 meters tall at maturity)

The species composition of the forest has been chosen to replicate an oak-hickory forest type. Old-growth oak-hickory forest remnants still exist in small pockets on Hamilton Mountain, indicating that this forest type evolved here and that the mineral composition of the soil will support this forest type. Species have been carefully selected from the Carolinian forest species list to support species of birds, insects and mammals who rely on these species for habitat and food. 

Bringing Learning Outdoors

This mini forest isn't just great for nature; at all stages of its growth, it will be an incredible outdoor classroom. Grade 5 teacher and project spearhead, Dayna Zimmerman, is thrilled about the future of the space. She is looking forward to planning creative, hands-on lessons outdoors where students can learn science, art, and math right under the shade of the trees. For the next two years as the trees mature, students will be involved in Green Venture’s ongoing monitoring and maintenance of tree health and growth rate.

Want to Get Involved?

Planting a mini-forest takes a community. Whether you can help on planting day, invest financially in funding the next mini-forest installation, or just want to learn more about this dynamic planting technique to increase our urban canopy, reach out to [email protected] to learn more.