Quarry Park Microforest

Microforests – AKA Miyawaki forests or tiny, mini or pocket forests – were conceptualized in the 1970s in Japan by plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki. Trees of varying heights and shrubs are densely planted to create a fast-growing forest which will mature in 20 to 30 years instead of 100 years. The growing canopy shades out weeds and shelters the understory, which helps the forest become self sustaining after only 2 to 3 years.

Princeton’s first microforest has been planted at Quarry Park in an underutilized area of grass and invasive plants to further the goals of Princeton's Climate Action Plan. On October 4th, 2025, over 100 volunteers came together to plant nearly 1,300 native trees and shrubs in the 6,000 square foot site. While the growing forest currently has to be fenced to prevent damage by deer, once open, it will feature a trail amongst the trees and a central seating area with benches. The slideshow below shows the journey from lawn to microforest with more than 20 species of native trees and shrubs!

The Quarry Park microforest was supported by a generous $10,000 grant from Sustainable Jersey funded by the PSEG Foundation.

Benefits of a microforest:

• Carbon sequestration
• Surface water capture and storage
• Heat reduction within the forest
• Living ecology classroom for residents

Support the Microforest by making a donation to the Shade Tree Trust Reserve

Princeton’s Microforest project is made possible with the collaboration of the following groups:

• Princeton Recreation Commission
• Princeton Shade Tree Commission
• Princeton Environmental Commission
• Sustainable Princeton
• Princeton Housing Authority

Further readings:

Tiny Forests With Big Benefits - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Forests | SUGi (sugiproject.com)
The Miyawaki Method: Imagining a Mini-Forest’s Potential(chelseagreen.com)
Micro Forests For Macro Change (groundworkusa.org)
Tiny Forest (www.cityofsummit.org)
Tiny Forest, Big Vision (www.civicstory.org)
Lewis, Hannah (2022). Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World. Chelsea Green Publishing.