Pocket forest plans to transform a corner of the site

A tiny forest will soon spring up at the Warrnambool Community Garden, and it’s hoped its impact will far exceed its canopy.

The pocket forest will be planted using the Miyawaki method. Named after Japanese Botanist Akira Miyawaki, it involves intensive soil preparation and carefully planned planting patterns to help young trees establish quickly.

This means the benefits of a mature forest such as shade, food and habitat for wildlife are realised sooner.

Warrnambool College students will be involved in the design, planting and monitoring of the forest.

The Warrnambool City Council successfully applied for a Healthy Cities Landcare Grant to fund the project.

Warrnambool was one of nine Victorian locations to secure a Healthy Cities Landcare Grant, a partnership between Landcare Australia and Bupa.

As well as the pocket forest in the Community Garden, over 4,000 new plants will be planted in Albert Park as part of the project.

The pocket forest will occupy 600m2 on the eastern boundary of the Community Garden, between the amphitheatre and the water treatment plant.

Warrnambool Mayor Ben Blain said the project was a great example of Council working alongside local students and community groups on hands-on environmental projects.

“It’s going to be really exciting to see the Warrnambool College students involved at every step of the process. Getting your hands dirty is a great way to learn,” he said.

“It’s also part of our larger revegetation work in Albert Park. Council adopted the Albert Park Revegetation Plan in 2022, and since then about 5,000 plants have been added to the park, so to be able to add another 4,000 in the next year is a big boost.

“The focus is on native and indigenous species, so they are the plants that would have grown here naturally and are well-suited to local conditions.

“Albert Park is located centrally between the coast, the Hopkins and Merri rivers and nearby bushland at Francis Tozer Reserve, so it has an important role in creating biodiversity corridors and supporting different species, especially bird and insect pollinators.

"This is a really great project and having Council, the Community Garden, Warrnambool College and partners including Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare and GreenPrint Projects involved is really positive.

“There’s still a lot more work to be done, but this grant is a big step forward.”

Warrnambool Community Garden Convenor Courtney Mathew said the pocket forest aligned with their goal to plant out as much of their site as possible.

“For us, it’s beyond healthy food, it’s a whole biodiversity approach for the site,” she said.

“If we plant a range of species, they can play a bigger role in the whole ecosystem and attract more wildlife which is so nice to enjoy when visiting the garden.

“If we can do something that’s self-sustaining, that will help us to have time to focus on things other than constantly having to maintain the space.”

She said that the plants would be ordered from a local supplier soon, with the forest to be planted in late autumn next year.

The Garden will also be hosting native plant propagation workshops in the New Year.

Anyone who would like to be involved can contact the Warrnambool Community Garden.