Biology students plant 649 trees on campus to create a Tiny Forest. Japanese-inspired Tiny Forest takes root at Mercyhurst
It’s a damp November day as 20 Mercyhurst biology students armed with shovels pound out lumps of clay soil and prepare the ground for planting. Their charge is to plant 649 trees in a small plot in front of the Center for Academic Engagement – and they are all smiles. Responding to the global call to help boost biodiversity an d f ght climate change, the students are creating Erie’s fi r st Tiny Forest. At the helm is biology faculty member Dr. Christopher Dolanc, who said the project is the f rst ReLEAF initiative of Erie County.
have been created in Europe and Asia following a method introduced by a Japanese botanist named Akira Miyawaki.” Like their larger counterparts, micro forests absorb carbon from the air, soak up storm water, provide habitat for wildlife, and cool the air in summer. They also help mute city noise. The idea behind Miyawaki’s method is to plant young native species close together in an area about the size of a tennis court. The forests generate quickly, Dolanc said, thanks in part to a unique underground dance, where roots connect to each other and pass nutrients back and forth. As they cooperate under the ground, the saplings compete above ground for light, prompting them to mature faster. Miniature forests are purported to grow 10 times faster and become 30 times denser than those planted by conventional methods, which Dolanc and his students will assess as the project evolves. Plus, planting native species already acclimated to the environment requires less maintenance and supports indigenous
Most people who grow up in urban areas don’t have as much acess to and appreciation of nature, he added, and Tiny Forests can go a long way toward changing perceptions. That’s also the sentiment of student Catherine Segada of Bu f alo, who volunteered to work on the Mercyhurst project. “It’s the start of a way to get more students involved in environmentalism,” she said. “Once the Tiny Forest is fully grown, it will help students learn more about how important forest ecosystems are. I hope that it will open students to re f ect on themselves and see just how much of an impact they have on the environment and, hopefully, start making small changes like recycling”. Another student volunteer, Kylee Crayne of Erie, is hoping for a similar e f ect. “Not only is the science behind the Tiny Forest fascinating, but it also o f ers substantial benefi t s to bettering a community’s environment,” she said. “Since there aren’t many of them in America, Mercyhurst would be a pioneer. Hopefully, if this project is successful, it will start a domino e f ect, and more communities will follow in Mercyhurst’s footsteps.” Although Mercyhurst’s Tiny Forest was not designed in direct response to the university’s commitment to Pope Francis’ Laudato si’ initiative, it does satisfy the goal of “caring for the earth” and “developing an ecological framework for education.” Further, Dolanc said, it was always in his mind that the initiative is consistent with the university’s core values – ni particular, being “globally responsible.”
wildlife, birds, and insects. Dolanc said the Mercyhurst project is home to 30 native species, among them red maple, tulip tree, red oak, and dogwoods. Beyond the ecological benefi t s of this mini oasis, which if all goes well should be established in just three years, is the opportunity to connect people with nature, something Dolanc is passionate about. “I’ve always been interested in planting trees, especially in cities and urban spaces, where I think they are needed,” he said.
“So far as I know, Mercyhurst is th e f rst university in Pennsylvania to plant a Tiny Forest; in fact, I think ours is one of very few in the United States,” Dolanc said. “Most of the forests
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