Overview
Discover the people and projects behind Europe’s growing miniforest movement and the spread of the Miyawaki Method of afforestation.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | 7:00–9:00 PM ET | Virtual
Join us for a special screening of filmmaker Angelina Lee’s documentary Making a Mini-Forest, narrated by Hannah Lewis, award-winning author of Mini-Forest Revolution, followed by a live conversation and audience Q&A.
The film follows organizations in Europe as they plan, plant, and care for miniforests—while tracing the Miyawaki Method’s roots in Japan and the growing civic movement to regreen cities.
Following the screening, filmmaker Angelina Lee will join us live for a conversation about the making of the film and the growing international miniforest movement, followed by audience Q&A.
This event is part of the 2026 Northeast Miniforest Summit, a multi-day gathering bringing together the people planting, studying, stewarding, teaching, measuring, and documenting miniforests across the Northeast U.S. and beyond.
Learn more at miniforests.bio4climate.org
About the Film
People around the world are embracing the Miyawaki Method to plant “mini-forests.” Narrated by Hannah Lewis, award-winning author of Mini-Forest Revolution, the film zigzags across land and sea to meet ten different organizations in four languages in France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
The film observes in real time the brainstorming, planning, planting, and establishment care that goes into making a mini-forest, as well as the Miyawaki Method’s 50 year history in Japan. Each story contributes to a bigger picture, that of passionate individuals taking civic action to regreen their cities. One person sparks the imagination of another, and another, and a robust network of foresters emerges.
What is the Miyawaki Method?
Developed by Japanese ecologist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, the Miyawaki Method creates dense, diverse miniforests using native trees and shrubs. By preparing the soil and planting at high density, these forests can establish quickly—even in urban environments—supporting biodiversity, improving soil health, retaining water, cooling neighborhoods, and creating opportunities for community stewardship.
Watch this video to learn more:
This urban forest becomes self-sufficient in three years
This event is organized by Biodiversity for a Livable Climate.For more information, visit miniforests.bio4climate.org or email miniforests@bio4climate.org with any questions.
About Biodiversity For a Livable Climate
For more than a decade, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate has worked to raise awareness about the vital role of biodiversity and nature-based solutions in regulating the Earth’s climate.
A pioneer of the Miyawaki Method in the United States, the organization helped bring this approach to New England, launching the region’s first miniforest in 2021 in collaboration with SUGi and the City of Cambridge. Since then, it has supported the planting of eight miniforests across Massachusetts, demonstrating how this approach can take root across diverse urban sites. In 2025, Bio4Climate convened the inaugural Northeast Miniforest Summit—mobilizing a regional network of practitioners to exchange knowledge, build relationships, and support the continued emergence of miniforests across the region.