In 2019, frustrated by a lack of action on climate change, Founder of The Climate Factory, Edwina Robinson set out to create Canberra’s first climate-cooling microforest. She wanted to create a demonstration project inspired by the Miyawaki method.

However, Robinson was unsure if the community would be willing to fund a public microforest. But in late 2019 she raised more than $23,000 via crowdfunding.

Not only did she use the Miyawaki method she combined it with water harvesting, a method practised for thousands of years. By gently resculpting the land rainwater is slowed and stored deep in the soil.

Following the Miyawaki approach she planted 1800 plants with community four native plants per square metre. This method is said to result in 10 times faster growth than a naturally occurring forest. Some of the Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) grew to three metres tall in seven months!

Rather than choose Gum Trees (Eucalyptus species) as the centrepiece of the forest she chose fire tolerant species, like Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus).

The end result was the creation of an urban oasis from a dustbowl in 12 months.

The success of Downer has inspired the Watson, Holt, Queanbeyan and Moruya micro-forest projects. And Edwina Robinson, created an 8 step process to help others build community micro-forests.