Microforests, Big Change: Growing Ecological Resilience in Urban Communities
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Daniela Shebitz and John Evangelista presented microforests—densely planted mini-forests using the Miyawaki method—as a nature-based solution for urban environmental challenges in communities like Elizabeth, New Jersey. These forests grow 10 times faster than traditional plantings, sequester significant carbon, reduce flooding, and create biodiversity hotspots while reconnecting communities to nature.
Key takeaways
- Microforests use dense planting (30x normal density) to create fast-growing forests that establish ecological functions in just 1-3 years, with 87% tree survival rates.
- Soil remediation and rich native plant communities in microforests increase microbial metabolic activity by 280% and permeability by up to 52 times, with carbon sequestration beginning in year one.
- Community partnership at every stage—from planning through monitoring—ensures local ownership and unlocks social benefits including mental health improvements and environmental justice in historically disinvested areas.
- The Miyawaki method has already expanded to approximately 3,000 documented microforests worldwide, with the speakers creating a methods paper and database to enable replication globally.
- Early results show microforests eliminate localized flooding, reduce urban heat islands, support 60+ bird species, and provide outdoor classrooms for student-led ecological monitoring and research.
About Daniela Shebitz and John EvangelistaDaniela Shebitz is a conservation biology professor at Kean University in New Jersey who leads student research on microforest growth and ecological benefits. John Evangelista directs Groundwork Elizabeth, a community-based environmental organization that designs and implements microforests in partnership with local residents.
AI-generated from the meeting recording — AI can make mistakes, so check the recording for anything important.
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Program: Microforests, Big Change: Growing Ecological Resilience in Urban Communities
Speaker: Daniela Shebitz and John Evangelista
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Historically redlined urban neighborhoods often face disproportionate environmental challenges, including flooding, loss of biodiversity, urban heat island effects, and air and soil pollution. The Miyawaki afforestation method, featuring dense planting of native species in revitalized soil, offers a fast, nature-based solution for restoring ecological function in these communities. By accelerating natural forest succession up to ten times faster than traditional planting approaches, this technique enables rapid regeneration of degraded urban landscapes.
In this presentation, Dr. Daniela Shebitz of Kean University and John Evangelista of Groundwork Elizabeth will share their approach to establishing and monitoring Miyawaki microforests in Elizabeth, New Jersey. They will present preliminary findings from their first four years of research, demonstrating how these forests can help mitigate flooding, reduce heat, and boost biodiversity in the urban environment. Their collaborative work has received national attention, including features in The New York Times (“50 States, 50 Fixes”) and on NBC's TODAY.
Dr. Daniela Shebitz holds a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Science from the University of Washington (2006), as well as a B.S. and M.S. from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. An ethnobotanist and plant ecologist, her work centers on integrating traditional and local knowledge into the restoration of culturally significant plants and ecosystems. Her research spans urban communities and Pine Barrens in New Jersey, the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica, and the temperate forests of the Pacific Northwest. Dedicated to advancing sustainability in both education and the broader community, Dr. Shebitz focuses on conservation and restoration ecology, community-engaged learning, urban agriculture, and environmental justice. She chairs Kean University's Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, is a past President of the Society of Ethnobiology, and currently serves as Vice President of the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS).
Mr. John Evangelista is the Executive Director of Groundwork Elizabeth. With over thirty years of experience in farming, construction and agricultural practices, John works closely with local, state and federal partners to study current urban agricultural practices and introduce them back into underserved areas through educational programs and activities for seniors, adults and children. As director for Groundwork USA's cutting edge environmental project known as the Climate Safe Neighborhood (CSN) partnership, John is working with local residents and stakeholders to increase awareness of the relationship between the city's history of housing segregation and the current and predicted impacts of climate change. Focused on the formerly redlined neighborhoods of Bayway and Elizabethport, and the green lined Elmora neighborhood, the project aims to identify and prioritize climate mitigation measures related to extreme heat, flooding, and CSO events.
Members and guests, please welcome Dr Daniela Shebitz and John Evangelista!
To learn more, go to:
https://groundworkelizabeth.org/
https://www.today.com/video/why-microforests-are-being-planted-in-urban-areas-250008133972
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/climate/new-jersey-tiny-forests.html
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