What is a Miyawaki Forest?
A Miyawaki Forest is a densely planted native woodland designed to accelerate natural forest development. Developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, the method uses a diverse mix of locally native trees and shrubs planted much closer together than in conventional landscaping. This density encourages competition for sunlight, promoting rapid vertical growth while creating a multilayered forest structure. Once established, Miyawaki forests require minimal maintenance, and provide ecological benefits such as carbon sequestration, stormwater management, urban cooling, and habitats for wildlife.
The Babson College Miyawaki Forest is a high-density planting of native New England trees and shrubs, such as black oak, chokeberry, serviceberry, red maple, blueberry, yellow birch, white pine, and more. Using the Miyawaki method, over 150 plants and shrubs were planted on Earth Day 2026 (April 24). The forest is expected to establish rapidly, developing into a self-sustaining ecosystem within 2-3 years of planting. The forest is supported daily by our Grounds department and bimonthly health surveys are conducted by the Babson Greenworks team. This report contains those findings.
