Microforest Collective

The public park in Dunlop (ACT), behind Woolworths will soon get it's own 1500 native plant microforest, gathering space, seating rocks, a 'dry' creek bed and sub-surface water harvesting trenches. This project will help Dunlop (with just 12% tree canopy cover - the ACT target is 30%) create a cool outdoor leafy refuge in summer. Dunlop Microforest will be Belconnen's second microforest, with the first constructed at Gawari Mada - Holt in 2022. There will still be plenty of room in the park to walk dogs, kick balls and run around the park and across to the playground. As the microforest grows it will offer a cool community nature-based hub for locals. Construction will start in March/April with the first planting of 500 plants in April 2025. The crew from Ginninderra Catchment Group will help at all three planting bees. They'll also support a carer group maintain the microforest for its first three years. This project is sponsored by an ACT Government Climate Cooling Grant of $48,000. Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Plants sponsored by Carbon Positive Australia Landscape Design: PLACE Lab Water harvesting design: Paul Totterdell Anna Chauvel Carbon Positive Australia SEE-Change Inc Ginninderra Catchment Group Colleen Filippa Stuart Porteous #actgovernment #waterharvesting #microforest #climatecooling #communityaction #grassroots

In about three weeks, we’ll be celebrating one year of the Queanbeyan Microforest - and you’re invited. The local fire department will be there for a family-friendly demonstration while giving the trees a good soak, doves will be released in celebration, and Megan Dixon from Canberra Native Nursery will lead an educational session on native plants for your garden. If you're curious about the microforest movement, flirting with the idea of creating one in your own neighbourhood with and for your neighbours, or simply keen to connect with the community, come along. Sunday March 16th, with the celebrations above kicking off at 10am. RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gQerJZ-F Pictured: Rebecca, Edwina and myself during excavation of our public site in Queanbeyan - and some of the growth ten months later. With thanks to our partners: Carbon Positive Australia, SEE Change, The Property Collective and Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council

Before and after shots of my fast growing home microforest on the Far South Coast of New South Wales. Look how much privacy was achieved in 5 years. It's a lawnless rectangular planting 15m long x 6 m wide. To achieve this leafy outcome you must choose the right plants, improve soil organically (no soil imported) and dependent upon location include drip irrigation or water harvesting. Find out more at this 30 minute lunchtime Microforest Maker webinar Tuesday 18 February. I'll be discussing my experience making 5 public microforests and 2 home microforests. https://lnkd.in/g5mGj2sW Catherine Carter Craig Davis Craig Fairweather Irene Zhen Irene Lemon Microforest Collective Suburban Land Agency Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) #microforest #maker #climate #solutions #landscape #architecture #revegetation

Two years ago we created a partnership with Moruya, TAFE to grow local native plants for the Moruya Microforest. Today, horticulture teacher, Wendy Jones brought new students to our outdoor classroom. Students learned how this is community-led microforest uses sub-surface water harvesting to help support plants during drought. And how we were inspired to grow a Dry Rainforest (a threatened ecological community) and a pollinator patch. Students collected ripe seed of plants that they will grow over the next few months. Harvested seed included: Themeda (Kangaroo Grass) Arthropodium (Vanilla lily) Isolepsis (Knobby Club Rush) Goodia Xerochyrsum (Everlasting daisy) In spring we will have hundreds of new plant babies to fill in gaps at our sunny edges. Katie Patrick Khory Hancock Mick Burgess Microforest Collective Anna Noon Anna Mezzetti Jo Taranto #microforest #Moruya #TAFE #horticulture #propagation #outdoor #classroom

How micro is a microforest? Well that depends upon site restraints and whether it's in a public space or a home microforest. I have created two home microforests planted at 3 plants per square metre. The bushy enclave I've made instead of a lawn and a couple of trees in our front garden is 15 x 6 m. That's 90 square metres of dense layered vegetation that provides privacy (we live on a fugly street), habitat and free cooling from western sun for our residence. Out the back I've built a 12sqm block of local rainforest using the Miyawaki method. I've also started trialling 3 plants per sqm up to 1.5 metres wide along a fence line on a small block (of 400sqm) that requires rapid screening. Our public microforests (we've made 5) on average consist of 500m2 of trees, shrubs, grasses (yes, grasses), groundcovers and climbers. That's 1500 plants altogether. As we incorporate a central gathering/meeting space (diameter of 8 metres) and broad paths (minimum 3 metres wide) and setbacks from existing infrastructure like footpaths (of 3 metres) we need between 1200-1500 square metres. Basically microforests punch above their weight for growth, cooling, ecosystem services and community connection. REGISTER to learn more about this nifty landscape revolution. https://lnkd.in/gjZ5m7RE Anna Chauvel Microforest Collective SEE-Change Inc Anna Noon Anna Mezzetti Mick Burgess Jonathon Boyd Carbon Positive Australia Caroline Pidcock LFRAIA Chun-Yin San #microforests #Miyawaki #regeneration #training #climatefactory #landscapearchitecture #Humanitix

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recently collab'd with the Queanbeyan Microforest comms and marketing team (Rebecca Gredley) to celebrate and share all the growth that’s happened since planting day, 10 months ago. It’s been such a rewarding journey bringing this community-led project to life. Massive thanks to our partners - Carbon Positive Australia, Canberra Native Nursery, The Property Collective, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council - and, of course, to every single community member who pitched in to make it happen. Their post: https://lnkd.in/gxHB6z2c #regionaldevelopment #economicdevelopment #placemarketing

When I visit a city for the first time one of my go-to-destinations is the local botanic gardens. The rainforest gully at the Australian National Botanic Gardens is my favourite place to visit in Canberra. It inspired me to start making microforests in 2019 - to put multiple layers of greenery plus water collection into urban spaces. We could all do with more soothing greenery in our lives. #greening #wellbeing #botanicgardens #Canberra Microforest Collective Mitch Porteous Purdie Bowden Elizabeth Adcock Chun-Yin San Jason Perelson Jo Abbot Jo Taranto

Community-led projects don’t just transform spaces – they transform how people connect with them. Our co-founder Mitch Porteous shared these insights in a recent interview with The Riotact, where he explored how community-driven projects create spaces that are loved, enduring, and impactful. From crowdfunding microforests to activating public spaces, we’ve seen first-hand what happens when people power shapes the future. The interview dives into why this approach isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do. Read the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gsPYprhr #microforests #urbanplanning #urbandevelopment

Have you reflected on what you've achieved this year? It might be more than you think. I sat down to write this list of key microforest accomplishments. * Formed the not-for-profit Microforest Collective with three co-founders, Mitch Porteous, Elizabeth Adcock and Purdie Bowden (under SEE Change) * Received ACT Government Climate Cooling grant of $48,000 for the Dunlop Microforest located on the hot outer edges of Canberra with only 12% canopy cover. * Received ACT Government social enterprise grant of $29K, to develop the Microforest Collective's website, branding and marketing and product development strategy. * Received Federal Government Climate Innovation Award. * Established charity partnership with Carbon Positive Australia * Presented paper on innovative methods to raise money (crowdfunding) at Miyawaki conference, Yokohama, Japan * Construction of Queanbeyan Microforest and water harvesting, our 2nd NSW microforest * Created a suite of Microforest Maker Products and Microforest Blueprint. https://lnkd.in/gnVJRghs https://lnkd.in/gUVnWwJC

Jason Perelson, one of our inaugural steering committee members, recently set out to uncover what businesses can learn from the Miyawaki method - a unique approach to forest restoration - and how it can reshape organisational growth. Diversity, collaboration, and adaptability aren’t just traits of thriving microforests – they’re the keys to building resilient, high-performing teams and businesses. True transformation might just happen when you cultivate the microcosm within. Please dive into his article below to see how these principles also reflect our commitment to diversity, resilience, and regeneration. Link: https://lnkd.in/gcVRZwCG #microforests #business #collaboration