Miyawaki Forests

In August 2019 we planted our very first tiny Miyawaki forest and we’re hooked. These afforestation systems - created by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki - are extraordinarily dense, with 3 trees per square foot (under a system of succession and forest layers) planted in soils that have been given a boost with organic matter and compost, and mulched on top. These forests grow to be extremely dense, growing 10 times faster than a natural forest and can be up to 30 times more biodiverse - repositories of life above and below ground. They can add incredible value to farms in brittle conditions, dramatically altering the micro-climate, biodiversity and microbiome of the farm.

In 10 years a Miyawaki forest is usually the size of a 100 year forest in the wild. They only need to be watered in the first 2-3 years of their life. They have enormous potential in transforming local temperatures, fighting air pollution in congested cities and given enough scale, bettering hydrological cycles. As Walter Jehne likes to remind the world, 40% of the world’s hydrological cycle is land based. These human assisted natural regeneration forests are thus an excellent manifestation of the human ideal of stewardship and harmony with nature.

After much research and seed sourcing we have now begun the nurseries of native species to plant various strips and zones of Miyawaki forests throughout our farmland. This will help us in enhancing life, sequestering carbon and providing direct benefits to our agriculture by providing windbreaks and homes to insects, birds and other creatures, thereby enhancing the harmony and mutualistic relationships at Drawdown Farm.

Forests planted under the Miyawaki method are also listed in Drawdown as one of the systems under Afforestation - the #15 solution with a potential to sequester over 18 gigatons of CO2.