Oakland Ballers Forest
In partnership with the Oakland Ballers, PG&E, McGuire & Hester, and Groundworks Office Landscape Architects, we planted Oakland’s first mini-forest following the Miyawaki method. The resulting self-sustaining woodland is designed to improve air quality, cool neighborhood temperatures and provide habitat for birds and pollinators. We are incredibly proud of this innovative project and the strong partnerships with organizations that prioritize taking care of our shared environment.
Project Installation
.
About the Miyawaki method
The Miyawaki method, devised in the 1970s, uses high-density, multi-species native plantings to accelerate growth and create dense woodlands and create self-sustaining forest systems within a relatively short timeframe. This approach is particularly well-suited to small urban settings where tree planting is infeasible or insufficient to deliver meaningful air quality and climate improvements. While the Miyawaki method was developed decades ago, in recent years, Berkeley, Paris and other cities have used it to revive formerly vacant land and to improve air quality in neighborhoods adjacent to freeways. The benefits include, but are not limited to:
Transforming a long-empty lot into a highly visible climate-resilience asset
Capturing freeway-related air particulates and emissions, improving air quality
Rebuilding native habitat, supporting pollinators and wildlife (e.g. insects and birds)
Developing a sustainable urban forestry strategy that requires minimal irrigation and maintenance upfront and none after three years
Creating an inspiration for much-needed projects in freeway-adjacent land and industrial zones