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Green Wash

Greenwashing or not, there seems very little that could go wrong with having a piece of urban wasteland bloom into a micro-forest. The more pieces of land that be turned green this way the better. Seems to beat the alternative of doing nothing.

Some scientific evidence for the Miyakawa method is emerging. One small study from the Netherlands and another from Italy support claims of rapid growth and high biodiversity. In the UK, scientists have set up a monitoring program to measure ecosystem benefits. As the data rolls in, Miyawaki, now in his early 90s, continues to plant trees.

There is a thick line of trees and brush around my yard which become impenetrable by the peak of summer. Birds have nests there, there are any number of squirrels, a few rabbits and I  occasionally see a fox. The place is a hive of activity all year long but it is peaks with the greenery. Having seen snakes a couple of times, I try not to get in there and inadvertently step on one. I am glad that they are not poisonous and we can all share the space. I like to think of tree line growing wild and free as a slice of forest that has come into my backyard on its own. It will evolve over time and become whatever it needs to be. Not quite an reclaimed urban wasteland but better that nature has taken over than any other options that might have been possible. 

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