Two new urban forests are coming to Worcester. Here's what we know

WORCESTER ― A part of downtown Worcester will be transformed from concrete into a forest.

A section of the McGrath municipal parking lot behind the Worcester Public Library at Salem Square is where the so-called Miyawaki forest will appear, according to the city's Department of Sustainability and Resilience. Officials declined to disclose the exact spot in the lot where the planting will occur, but said it will be a total of 5,000 square feet.

Funding for the project is through a $400,000 state grant and the state has set a completion deadline for June 30. The grant will also fund a second forest, but officials haven’t disclosed its location.

Native trees and little maintenance

Miyawaki forests are named for the late Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, who developed a method of planting species in neglected urban plots. The forests are small with trees, plants and shrubs that naturally mesh with the local soil and climate creating a synergy that is expected to require little, if any, maintenance after a brief period of tending by city crews.

The goal is to beautify blighted areas while generating environmental benefits including carbon capture to mitigate climate change and to absorb rain runoff to mitigate flooding as storms become more intense due to global warming.

The first Miyawaki forest in North America was planted in Cambridge in 2021 that is 4,000 square feet. There are 184 of these tiny forests worldwide in 40 cities, according to the SUGi Project, a nonprofit that works with communities to develop the forests. Since native trees and plants are baked into the design, the forests have a survival rate of 89%, according to SUGi.

Neighbors will have input into how the Worcester forests are designed, said city officials, for community buy-in. The city’s Department of Sustainability and Resilience will direct the projects along with consultant BSC Group.

Besides forests there are 'cool pockets'

Originally, the city wanted to plant a total of seven forests over two years, but it didn’t get the $1.6 million grant it needed from the state to pay for much of the work. Besides the two forests, the $400,000 will pay for the design — but not the construction — of two “cool pockets,” spots where people can relax on a hot day.

The Columbus Park Elementary School on Lovell Street is one design site for a cool pocket, according to city officials, who haven't announced the second location.

Columbus Park is in an environmental justice community, a state designation that covers more than 90% of Worcester. Such communities generally have a preponderance of low-income residents of color with varying levels of English-speaking proficiency. 

They also tend to fall in the urban heat island category where there is an abundance of concrete and few trees that provide shade on sweltering summer days. The cool pockets are designed to give residents relief from the heat.

City officials said community input is part of the design of the cool pockets. John Odell, the city's chief sustainability officer, explained the city is trying out the initial Miyawaki forests and cool pockets on an experimental basis and depending on how things play out, they could lead to more such projects in the years ahead.

Driving force

Evelyn Herwitz, vice chairwoman of the city’s Green Worcester Advisory Committee, is the driving force behind the establishment of the Miyawaki forests in Worcester. Herwitz pushed for them and set the wheels in motion for the city to apply for the state grant.

During Monday’s Green Worcester Advisory Committee meeting when city officials announced the locations of the first Miyawaki forest and cool pocket, Herwitz said, “Many different components have gone into this planning process and I think it's very exciting that we're finally at the point of really being able to start planning and planting.”

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester to plant two Miyawaki forests, establish 'cool pockets'