by Carla Caruso

A fledgling ‘pocket forest’ has been planted by a volunteer group in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16), in collaboration with the City of Adelaide.

About three-quarters of a tennis court in size, the tiny forest has been sown according to the methods of Japanese plant ecologist Professor Akira Miyawaki.

The local volunteer group, Green Pakapakanthi – an offshoot of the South East City Residents Association (SECRA) – has planted the forest to the west of the park’s wetland.

The project was largely funded through donations from SECRA, and later, a grant from government agency Green Adelaide.

Doug McEvoy, SECRA’s chair, said the forest idea was sparked after he attended a symposium on the topic by University of Adelaide researcher Dr Scott Hawken.

“Miyawaki developed this technique for reforesting denuded and degraded pieces of land, sometimes in settings around temples, but often in industrial wasteland or at brownfield sites,” Doug said.

According to signage at Park 16, key features of the Miyawaki method are:

careful soil preparation (soil is turned over to a depth of 50-100cm, and natural ingredients are added to optimise soil composition, aeration, and water retention), and
dense planting (a wide range of indigenous plant species are planted at three to four per square metre).

It’s the first Miyawaki forest to be planted in the state and the first in a wetland in Australia.

The technique can result in plant growth that is five to 10 times faster and 30 times denser than a naturally evolving forest or scrub, with up to 100 times more biodiversity.

“This is a technique that potentially could be used in the city more broadly,” Doug said. “Such as in school grounds, on street verges, or in parks where there are only small areas available because of competing demands - whether it be from sports fields, dog parks or children’s playgrounds.

“You may not be able to ‘green’ a whole park but you can intensely green small areas, and actually, very rapidly, improve birdlife, biodiversity and cooling, using this technique.”

*A sample of about 70 plants with metal ID tags will be monitored closely for growth by volunteers. Within a year, the forest should be able to look after itself. Photo: Trees for Life.*

A total of 420 plants were sown, comprising 37 different species, to mimic a middle-zone, riparian scrub.

These include wattle trees, native pines, smaller gums, and shrubs of varying sizes. Local horticulture students Rosalind Caust and Andrew Blanc helped with the design and planning.

Doug said plants that would attract smaller birds, in particular, were chosen. “Many of the parks in the Park Lands have larger birds, like magpies and corellas. But many of the smaller birds, such as wrens and thrushes, are no longer in the Park Lands, or at least they’re only in small pockets.

“We’re hoping that, in time, because of the permanent water supply that’s going to be in the wetland, we’ll be able to get a habitat that’ll provide shelter and food for them … If we can do more [plantings like this], then I think there’s a hope that that’ll happen.”

At one end of the site is a control area, with 14 plants planted in a more traditional horticultural manner (as in, one per square metre, with no soil preparation).

*Signage at the site. Photo: Trees for Life.*

With the help of Earthwatch Australia, a band of ‘citizen scientists’ will compare the plant growth and emergent biodiversity in the pocket forest with that in the control area. A narrow path separates the two spaces.

A seat at the apex of another V-shaped path is planned to allow for quiet contemplation within the forest. “We’re taking ideas about this area,” Doug said. “We want to design something that’s pretty special in terms of a seat, not just a park bench.”

Meanwhile, temporary fencing around the site is helping to protect against wandering paws and give the burgeoning forest the best chance of survival.

Green Pakapakanthi has undertaken other activities at the park since launching in May. This includes putting plants in the central garden, helped by the City of Adelaide, for Neighbour Day, and joining with students from Rose Park Primary to plant trees near the roadway for National Tree Day.