The adage about good things coming in small packages rings true as Williamsburg gets a first-of-its-kind ecosystem.
We first reported in February that City Council Member Lincoln Restler’s office secured $35,000 to bring a mini forest to the North 5th Street waterfront. The NYC Parks Department contributed nearly $200,000 to bring the project to life (mini forests need additional funding due to sourcing native species and intense soil preparation)
The mini-forest officially debuted last week. A condensed collection of trees, plants, shrubs, and wildflowers, mini forests can have an outsized impact on the local environment, benefitting biodiversity and air quality. Japanese ecologist Akira Miyawaki conceptualized the mini forest to help promote native species and combat climate change. Mini forests generally take root in a matter of years, but Williamsburg residents won’t have to wait so long.
“In contrast to Miyawaki-style mini forests, which begin with small plants planted closely together and allowed to grow naturally over time, New Yorkers will not have to wait to see the natural ecosystem of the new Brooklyn mini forest develop,” reads a statement from Parks. They planted mature species so that the forest is ready to go!
The mini forest joins other Parks Department efforts to increase the city’s tree canopies, providing necessary shade and cooling. Parks recently announced a goal of planting 18,000 trees across the city per year.