Mini-Forest Revolution book cover

Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World

£16.95

We ship worldwide - see checkout for options

Exceptional customer service trusted by 100's

    Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World Author: Format: Paperback / softback First Published: Published By: Chelsea Green Publishing Co
    string(3) "224"
    Pages: 224 Illustrations and other contents: 8-page color insert Language: English ISBN: 9781645021278 Categories: , , , ,

    For readers who enjoyed Finding the Mother Tree and The Hidden Life of Trees comes the first-ever book about a movement to restore biodiversity in our cities and towns by flipping empty lots, backyards and degraded land into mini-forests.

    In Mini-Forest Revolution, author Hannah Lewis presents a compelling case that what the world needs is not a corporate-sponsored “Trillion Tree Campaign,” but instead a people-powered “plant a million mini-forests” effort. After all, nature is composed of functioning ecosystems, not tree plantations. Lewis presents the Miyawaki Method, a unique approach to reforestation devised by botanist Akira Miyawaki in response to Japan’s rapid post-war development. She explains the scientific basis for why Miyawaki-style mini-forest projects matter and how they work, including how biodiversity increases ecosystem productivity and resilience, how vegetation transforms solar energy into latent heat and releases it away from Earth, and the role of native climax species in replicating the composition of ancient forests.

    Lewis also explores the multi-faceted benefits of planting a mini-forest, including:

    • Cooling urban heat islands
    • Sequestering carbon
    • Building soil health
    • Increasing water retention in dry or degraded landscapes
    • Establishing wildlife corridors
    • Healing communities working to recover from trauma
    • Helping urban youth connect with nature

    Today, the Miyawaki Method is witnessing a worldwide surge in popularity as communities seek to restore degraded landscapes both urban and rural. Lewis shares the stories of mini-forests that have sprung up across the globe and the people who are planting them-from a young forest along the concrete alley of the Beirut River in Lebanon, to a forest that is recharging groundwater in Cameroon, to the backyard forest planted by tiny-forest champion Shubhendu Sharma in India.

    Mini-Forest Revolution is complete with a step-by-step field manual for designing and planting a forest using the Miyawaki Method, with special attention to the process of developing a list of appropriate species and their respective proportions. No matter where you live, this book will inspire you to help organize a mini-forest project in your own community, and that may be one of the best decisions you can make.

    Weight0.567 kg
    Author

    Editor
    Photographer
    Format

    Illustrators
    Publisher

    Reviews

    There are no reviews yet.

    Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

    "My late friend and colleague, Professor Akira Miyawaki, wanted nothing more than to repair the forests of the world. He wanted trees in the ground, as do I. This book would make him happy."—Diana Beresford-Kroeger, author of To Speak for the Trees "We cannot solve problems by succumbing to fear and anger, and yet so much of the climate conversation is powered by the fearful narrative of a dying planet. In Mini-Forest Revolution, Hannah Lewis offers a different story—one that is authentic, honest, and powered by love. Her writing provides the inspiration, motivation, and recipe for working with nature rather than against it; for gathering our courage and creating the world we imagine."—Shubhendu Sharma, founder and director of Afforestt "Imagine a world where every modest scrap of worn-out dirt or asphalt—think tennis-court-size—can become a cooling, moisture-circulating, air-cleansing, wildlife-nurturing forest within a few years. Mini-Forest Revolution shows how ordinary citizens can embrace this trowel-ready solution, and are doing so even under the harshest, sun-bleached conditions."—Judith D. Schwartz, author of The Reindeer Chronicles

    Author Biography

    Hannah Lewis has an MS in Sustainable Agriculture and Sociology from Iowa State University and a BA in Environmental Studies from Middlebury College. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she works for the nonprofit Renewing the Countryside to build sustainable local and regional food systems and plant mini-forests. To learn more, visit: www.hannahlewis.org.