What are Tiny Forests and why is everyone planting them?

Urban wildlife oases are popping up in cities worldwide. Known as Tiny Forests, these tennis court sized plots are densely packing native bushland into under utilised land—a trend taking root in Melbourne, Perth and Canberra.

Tiny Forests are built on the principles of the Miyawaki Method, which encourages plants to compete for water and sunlight in a limited space, helping them grow faster than they would in conventional planting.

Beyond rapid growth, these mini-ecosystems have shown greater resilience to weed infestation than some traditional bush regeneration approaches and can help counter urban heat by increasing vegetation in built-up areas.

The research around their biodiversity benefits is promising too. Their dense, layered structure is designed to mimic the characteristics of a mature forest. Following soil remediation, three to five endemic plants per square metre are planted across shrub, understory and canopy levels, creating a diverse, densely packed ecosystem within a relatively small footprint.

The movement is also bringing communities into the process. Councils have encouraged community planting days, while schools have enlisted students to transform underused spaces that might otherwise remain barren. Beyond creating habitat for wildlife, these Tiny Forests are designed for people too, with footpaths and yarning circles providing places to explore, gather and enjoy nature.

The Miyawaki Method is named after Japanese ecologist and botanist Professor Akira Miyawaki, who pioneered the approach in the 1970s. It wasn’t until 2015, however, that the method began gaining international attention following a successful project in the Netherlands.

See more examples of successful Tiny Forests in the Sydney Morning Herald article.