About Pocket Forests
Pocket Forests is a social enterprise, accelerating social change through the power of people and plants. Pocket Forests was set up in Dublin in 2020 by Ashe Conrad-Jones and Catherine Cleary. Amy van den Broek joined the team in 2022.
What is a pocket forest?
It's our very own method of planting native trees, shrubs and groundcover plants in small urban areas. We follow some of the Miyawaki technique. Akira Miyawaki was a Japanese botanist who pioneered a technique for growing a forest of native trees, with dense, mixed native planting which mimics the layers of a natural forest.
Biodiversity Boost
In 2023, data by the University of Wageningen, the Netherlands, researchers found 636 animal species across 11 Miyawaki forests and identified 298 new plant species in addition to the original species planted.
Innovation of Pocket Forests
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We tap into the richness of resources that already exist by re-using materials to bring life back to tired soil.
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We use a permaculture approach encouraging microbes and earthworms to do the heavy work of digging. This means people of all ages and abilities can be involved in every step.
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We love to empower people to create pocket forests. The collaboration of the plants is reflected in the collaboration and care of the people who plant them.
The forest is the root of all life; it is the womb that revives our biological instincts, that deepens our intelligence and increases our sensitivity as human beings
-Akira Miyawaki