In Search of Bellingham's Miyawaki Mini-Forest

A1DesignBuild is a designer and builder of homes in Bellingham and Whatcom County, Washington. We specialize in everything from home remodels to complete high performance home builds, and our over 70 years of providing excellent service to the community assures that your home project gets done right - each and every time.

Explore Bellingham’s Mini-Forest with A1DesignBuild

One of the undeniably great things about Bellingham is the sheer number of nonprofits doing excellent work throughout the county. We support a lot of them, and one that we really like is the Whatcom Million Trees Project. They have the audacious goal of spurring ‘positive ACTION for trees & forests that will enhance our community’s health, equity, biodiversity, and resilience in this era of rapid climate change.’

We love it. And recently we helped them with their Miyawaki mini-forest located on the edge of Western University, helping them build a beautiful bench and informational sign kiosk that you can check out below. All fully ensconced in a Miyawaki mini-forest.

What is a Miyawaki mini-forest, you ask?

In a nutshell, a Miyawaki mini-forest, or "tiny forest," is a small-scale, densely planted, biodiverse forest created using the Miyawaki method, a reforestation technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, to rapidly establish a natural forest ecosystem in urban or degraded areas. This forest mimics how forests naturally regenerate – by planting a variety of native climax species densely together, often 3-5 trees in one square meter. These self-sustaining ecosystems are prime examples of the work that the Whatcom Million Trees Project does throughout this place we all call home.

Are You Up for an Adventure?

This little gem is located at the northwest corner of Sehome Hill, off East Ivy St and Ivy Terrace St. Go check it out, and if you do, send us a selfie (patrick@a1designbuild.coop) of you sitting on the bench. In return, we’ll send you a digital trading card worth a free coffee drink at the nearby Makeworth Coffee Roasters on State Street. It’s a win-win!

Head off on an adventure.

“A1DesignBuild made this gorgeous bench from 120-year-old salvaged cedar to give people a beautiful place to sit and appreciate the burgeoning mini forest around them, and they took great care installing the interpretive sign that helps people understand the significance of the project,” says Whatcom Million Trees Project Executive Director Susan Hutton. “Partners like A1Design Build help us to fulfill our mission and they create opportunities for our community to enjoy the results.”

So the next time the weather clears up a tad, head on out and enjoy this little slice of paradise, right here in our backyard. Or, if you have any ideas on who else we might support in our community, let us know here. And thanks for stopping by.

Special accolades go out to Dave Bennick at the ReUse Center, who provided us with the 120 year old beam that was salvaged into the bench.