Sustainable Jersey has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Municipality of Princeton to support the town’s planned microforest at Quarry Park.
The Princeton Council had earlier approved a bond ordinance that includes $35,000 for the microforest project. The Sustainable Jersey grant is in addition to the money approved by the Council.
“We are very grateful for the Sustainable Jersey grant,” Princeton Open Space Manager Inge Reich said.
The Sustainable Jersey grant will cover the cost for deer fencing and benches within the microforest. It also will be used to pay for water and snacks for volunteers on planting day – planting the trees and shrubs, watering them and applying mulch.
The project involves creating a small forest in the middle of Quarry Park, which is located at the end of Spruce Street. The park is adjacent to the Princeton Housing Authority’s Lloyd Terrace at Spruce Circle affordable housing development.
The forest is planned for a 5,000-square-foot area that is presently a grassy area, officials said. It would include about 1,500 native trees and shrubs. A path is planned through the microforest, along with benches for visitors.
A microforest would provide many benefits to the community – from reducing air pollution to boosting local biodiversity and increasing soil health.
Planning the microforest would follow the Miyawaki method. It is based on experiments conducted by the late Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. He was an advocate for restoring natural forests.
The Miyawaki method calls for planting trees and shrubs at very high densities. It causes them to grow faster because of the competition for light and water.
Trees and shrubs of varying heights would be planted. Native species such as hickory, oak and tulip poplars reach about 60 feet in height at maturity. Smaller trees, such as the Eastern redbud, sourwood and American hornbeam reach heights of about 15 to 25 feet.
Officials said that using the Miyawaki method of incorporating taller canopy trees, smaller trees and shrubs would result in a forest that is very close to a natural forest ecosystem.
The microforest would become self-sustainable in about two or three years. It would reach maturity after 15 to 40 years.
The microforest would provide a unique learning environment for school and university students, Reich said.
The Princeton Public Schools, Princeton University and Rutgers University have been solicited to help in monitoring tree survival, changes to local biodiversity and other environmental benefits as the microforest is established, Reich said.
