Micro-forests anyone?
Yes please!
WOOEE reports on an exciting new project in Moruya, offering multiple benefits to community and environment.
Micro-forests increase tree cover, create cooling wildlife habitats, and become beautiful meeting places for community. They also help to cool the planet. What’s not to love!
Eurobodalla residents who lived through the 2019-2020 fires have recently taken the benefits of micro-forests to their hearts, forming a leadership group to grow one locally!
Now they are looking for land to create Moruya’s first community micro-forest from the ground up.
Offering a new local pathway for healing and climate action, the project has a clear aim –
“The Eurobodalla Region was ravaged by the Black Summer Bushfires, followed by floods and COVID. Our aim is to make a community-led micro-forest in Moruya using the Miyawaki method of dense planting” says the team.
“Our goal is to plant 1500 local coastal rainforest species in an underused public space. In total we need an area of 1200-1500 square metres, to develop planting, open gathering spaces with seating and broad paths.”
Already garnering widespread interest and followers on local social media, talks with Eurobodalla Shire Council have begun as part of scoping a location for the forest.
The profile of plantings is targeted, emphasising indigenous species important to the South Coast and Yuin Country, and sharing local Yuin knowledge of plants and Country.
“Coastal or littoral rainforests are one of the region’s Endangered Ecological Communities.” the group says.
“ We will also be incorporating water harvesting in trenches and dry creek beds to get water deep into the soil profile.”
The group is partnering with Moruya resident – Edwina Robinson -from the social enterprise The Climate Factory. Edwina, a Landscape Architect, is a micro-forest maven and a gifted community enabler from way back.
Micro-forests or tiny forests can be paired with other features, like nature play, community compost and Indigenous education.
“ Micro-forests or tiny forests can be paired with other features, like nature play, community compost and Indigenous education.” notes Edwina when describing the range of creative, cultural and ecological benefits a micro-forest project can deliver. “
The dense privacy screen and windbreak planted by Edwina at her Eurobodalla home, consists of the fast growing local coastal wattle, and local tree species of Casuarina and Black Wattle. Understorey shrubs like Coastal Banksia, Lemon-scented Tea Tree, Correa, Westringia and strappy plants like Dianella and Lomandra are layered above ground covers like Creeping boobialla, Pig Face, and Hardenbergia – Native sarsparilla. The native groundcover, Dichondra repens – Kidney Weed – grows naturally in the damp and shaded places in the micro-forest.
Edwina established a lush, drought tolerant garden at her home in Eurobodalla over 5 years ago, also creating her own personal haven of cooling and habitat restoration, on the western side of her property.
The Climate Factory has created two community led micro-forests in Canberra using what it calls the Eight Step Method of community leadership, and is set to build a third public micro-forest in the capital later in 2022.
” I’ve built a micro-forest at home in Moruya. After 5 years it’s our slice of bush in the suburbs. It faces west and protects us from the weather. (And ) I’ve embarked on making a second micro-forest in our back garden. This time it’s a 25 square metre plot that will be planted with local coastal rainforest species. “
“I love our adopted town and community of Moruya, NSW. ” she says.
“I’m excited to announce that our leadership team met today and want Moruya to host the first Eurobodalla Micro-forest. We don’t have a site yet (but) stay tuned!”
We certainly will! WOOEE will be checking out developments in the project in the months ahead. We asked Edwina about the wins the project can deliver at this stage after Australia’s worst climate-led fires, and in the midst of the anxieties people are feeling about a fast changing global climate.
A community-led micro-forest in the Eurobodalla area not only highlights the importance of protecting endangered ecological communities … it helps build community action and hope for the future.
“A community-led micro-forest in the Eurobodalla area not only highlights the importance of protecting endangered ecological communities (in this case coastal rainforest) it helps build community action and hope for the future.” she says.
And that pathway for hope is clear and well thought out.
“The Climate Factory has developed an Eight Step Method to guide communities through starting a micro-forest in their neighbourhood,” Edwina explains.
Micro-forests anyone? Yes please!!!
Watch Edwina speak about micro-forests created in Canberra and about their place in fighting for our climate
How urban micro forests will revolutionize the fight for our climate | Edwina Robinson | TEDxCanberra
If you’re interest is piqued, deepen your understanding of micro-forests and learn some more about the Miyawaki method by visiting the Climate Factory’s blog :
https://climatefactory.com.au/blog/
Get in touch with The Climate Factory if you’re interested in being involved or would like to make a donation prior to the campaign launch of Moruya’s first Community Micro-forest. Or call to chat about becoming an official sponsor of The Climate Factory.
https://climatefactory.com.au/
Media reporting on the project here – https://the-riotact.com/canberras-micro-forest…/532302…
WOOEE 2022
