Microforests are becoming an increasingly popular method to introduce native greenery into urban spaces. Brandeis Microforest members Audrey de Garmo ’26, Arryn Clanaugh ’26, Katy Tanzer ’25, Maya Haubrich ’24 and Lily McCarthy ’25 aim to make this project a reality. In an April 11 interview with The Justice, De Garmo, Clanaugh and Tanzer discussed their microforest project on the Brandeis campus. 

De Garmo explained what a microforest is: “A microforest is essentially a really densely planted forest. It’s made of native species,” she said. “It’s not like traditional afforestation methods where people tend to plant one species and [they’re] spaced evenly and in straight lines … everything is super densely planted, and the point of that is to mimic the environment of a natural forest.” Brandeis Microforest plans on using the Miyawaki method in planting their microforest, which focuses on using natural reforestation principles to quickly grow a forest on degraded land that has been used for agriculture or construction. According to de Garmo, this method is up to ten times faster than a typical afforestation project. 

Microforests are unique in that they contain solely species native to their area. “A natural native forest would have canopy trees, then trees, then sub trees and then shrubs and ground species,” de Garmo explained. “The idea is to mimic that. We’re planting a bunch of canopy species, red spruce, eastern red cedar, sweet birch, white oak, eastern white pine, those are going to be some of our taller species. And then we have some shrubs, sumac, chokeberry, elderberry, raspberry, hazelnut, stuff like that.” In total, Brandeis Microforest plans on planting over 30 different species, which includes a variety of trees, weeds and flowers. Since microforests are composed of native species and mature quickly, Brandeis Microforest anticipates only having to maintain the forest for two or three years before it can sustain itself. 

The idea to build a microforest on campus originated as a class project. According to de Garmo, the original idea was to build a pollinator garden similar to the one outside the Shapiro Science Center. De Garmo explained that it was Prof. Colleen Hitchcock (BIOL) who suggested they build a microforest. 

Clanaugh clarified that Brandeis Microforest has funding from the Brandeis Sustainability Fund to create the forest, and that they plan on planting on May 4 and 5. The microforest will be planted in between South Street and Slosberg, and will have an area of around 35 square meters. Additionally, all of the plants for the microforest will be sourced from local nurseries.

Tanzer discussed some of the benefits of having a microforest on campus. “[The microforest] is a good chance to get everybody involved, not just environmental science students … it’ll be nice having something on campus where people can go and connect to [nature].” In de Garmo’s words, “We’re a little isolated here. A lot of people don’t have cars, you can’t necessarily drive somewhere to have access to nature. So I’m really excited about the fact that we’re going to have a little forest on campus.” 

The benefits of a microforest aren’t limited to student mental health and building community. According to an infographic on Brandeis Microforest’s Instagram, “Microforests sequester carbon, decrease erosion and flooding, lower temperatures in urban areas, and foster biodiversity by creating habitats for insects, birds, and other wildlife.” An article by Earth.org goes into further detail of how microforests are a useful tool in slowing down climate change due to their ability to store atmospheric carbon. 

Though the goal is for the microforest to be self-sustaining, the project is in a stage that requires a lot of hands-on work. “We’re looking for people to help us plant the trees,” Clanaugh expressed. “We’re definitely going to make a big event out of it.” For those who would like further information about the microforest and getting involved, Brandeis Microforest encourages students to follow their Instagram under the username @brandeismicroforest.