Since I last wrote back in February about plans for Belmont’s first Miyawaki forest, many steps have been taken to prepare for planting day, Oct. 4 at the site in front of the high school and just west of Clay Pit Pond. A Miyawaki forest is a mini-sized forest (often covering less than an acre) that grows to maturity in mere decades from sapling trees and shrubs planted very densely into well-prepared soil. The effort is being organized by a small volunteer group called Miyawaki Forest Action Belmont (MFAB), and is being realized with the help of hundreds more volunteers (and a few professional experts) across Belmont and in nearby communities.
After securing approval from town officials and launching a fundraising campaign for the project, the next step was determining which species to plant and how many of each. This effort began in earnest last spring, with MFAB working closely with local ecologist Walter Kittredge and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate (Bio4Climate), the group that spearheaded the East Coast’s first Miyawaki forest in 2021, at Danehy Park in Cambridge. A crucial question to answer was, “What kind of forest most likely thrived here prior to human influence?” This determination is very site-specific (for example, the mini-forest at BHS will not resemble the one at Danehy). Clues to the ancient past came from researching physical factors and conducting extensive soil testing, as well as observing the plant communities of nearby forested areas with similar site characteristics.
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Of the dozens of plant communities defined by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, “high-terrace floodplain forest” seemed the most likely match to the site. In late April, MFAB members traveled with Bio4Climate to Bolton Flats in Lancaster, where this type of forest thrives in a near-natural state. There, they took notes and constructed a list of about 40 species typical of the high-terrace floodplain. The final list for planting was later narrowed to 32 species. Canopy species (the tallest trees) will include various species of maple and oak, American basswood, elm and sycamore, and several others; gray and black birch, serviceberry, and witch hazel will make up most of the understory; buttonbush, winterberry, smooth alder, pussy willow and 10 other shrub species will compose the lowest layer.
In May, MFAB acquired and distributed about 10% of the forest’s plants to summer caretaker volunteers across Belmont. (The remainder of the plants will be delivered to the site from area nurseries the day before planting.) Sarah Wang recruited individuals and families to foster the plants, and Jess Hausman then extended the idea to include scout troops, businesses, and other groups. Plants that spent the summer parked in front of about a dozen Belmont businesses—including the black chokeberry shrub outside Belmont Books, nicknamed “Chuck Berry”—helped raise awareness and excitement for the project. Fostering also provided people with hands-on experience and a vested interest in the forest’s success.
“The process won’t end when they hand back their plant,” explained Hausman. “Fostering has inspired people to want to visit the forest and continue learning.”
On May 7, volunteers gathered at the planting site for a group photo, standing side by side to outline the future forest. Later in May, a native plant sale (of plants mostly grown by MFAB members) helped raise funds for the venture. BHS art students Sophia Miao and AJ Shaw designed graphics for forest signage and stickers.
In July, erosion controls on the site’s east side, required by the town’s Conservation Commission, were installed by employees of Hartney Greymont volunteering their time. And in early August, teens from the Biodiversity Builders (a coalition of students from several area high schools) and the BHS Climate Action Club moved the existing native plant garden from its original location in the center of the site, to just in front of the future forest, closer to Concord Avenue. (Starting next spring, additional native wildflowers will be planted around the rest of the forest, forming a collar.)
Later in August, the serious earthworks began. The town’s Department of Public Works removed the grass turf, then amended the first 18 inches of soil with a 50-50 soil-compost blend and BioChar fertilizer, a fine-grained carbon compound that helps soil retain water and nutrients. Soon after, Belmont volunteers aged 8 to 80 collected cardboard from town residents, then cleaned and laid it around the site boundary and distributed wood chips on top, to serve as a weed barrier.
Now, in the final countdown to Oct. 4 (with a rain date of Oct. 5), any last wrinkles in site preparation, plant layout, and volunteer assignments are being ironed out. In just a few days, approximately 100 volunteers will plant around 1,100 young trees and shrubs, densely filling the 3,000-square-foot site. MFAB encourages anyone to stop by—even if they don’t have a volunteer slot—to enjoy the festive community atmosphere, participate in planned activities, and learn about future volunteer opportunities. More info can be found at miyawakiforestbelmont.netlify.app/
