Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living Tree Planting Event!

This is an exciting day!

Through partnership with the Calgary Climate Hub, Green Communities Canada, Definity Insurance Foundation, All One Fund and the Alberta Ecotrust, our Centre has been chosen to plant a Tiny Forest in the North East corner of our lot.

And we can’t do it without your help!

Please sign up to help out with the event, which will involve a little bit of digging, a little bit of planting, some dirt and mulch moving, watering and a whole lot of fun! An hour of your time (or two if you are willing) will be all that is needed to get a 200 square meter section of the hill behind the Centre planted with a native forest that will grow pretty quickly (with some TLC over time). We are doing this as part of an ongoing project to make the back area of our property become a wonderful gathering space for our community.

You can sign up by emailing the office or though the paper signup form at the Centre on Sundays.

What is a tiny forest you ask? Read on…

The Miyawaki Forest project draws on the work of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, who developed a method of planting tiny forests using native species. The forests are designed to regenerate a native ecosystem and soon birds, butterflies, and wildlife begin returning to the forests.

The Miyawaki method involves:

Survey and research of the native trees and vegetation for a given area.
Soil testing for the plantation site.
Preparation of the soil to restore it to a healthier and native composition.
Tight planting of multiple native species to encourage competitive growth.
Watering (if required) for the first 1-3 years to allow for the plantation to take hold.

The beauty of this forest regeneration system is that in a very short period of time it will become self-sustaining and can be left alone. It is estimated that within 20 to 30 years a dense and thriving native forest will be restored, with significant growth in just a few years. By restoring a native forest the soil continues to improve and the forest provides flood mitigation, barriers to wind and fire, and a home to an abundance of life.

“A community grows great when people plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” -Greek Proverb

What to expect:

Work in a planting team of 4-5 people to carry out the following tasks:

• Carry small plant pots to planting area

• Carry small buckets (~800 mL – 1 L) of forest soil to planting area

• Dig planting holes using trowel or transplant spade & add a small scoop of forest soil to each hole

• Plant trees, shrubs, ground cover plants and replace soil in hole

• Place coloured flags next to planted canopy trees to ensure proper spacing

• Water each plant using a watering can.

•Carry small bags / buckets of mulch to planting area and add more mulch around plants to depth of 4”

• Scatter seeds of some plants in the outermost planting area (move mulch aside and replace it)