Ingrid Janssen, founding member of Little Forests Durham joins Joanne Shaw on her podcast, Down the Garden Path.
➤ TOPICS COVERED
- Ingrid’s background as a Durham Master Gardener, seed collector, and advocate for native trees
- How Little Forests Durham was founded in 2024 and inspired by Little Forests Kingston
- What a Miyawaki mini forest is and how the method aims to compress forest succession into 20-30 years
- Why these forests are planted using dense layers of native trees and shrubs to mimic a natural forest community
- The importance of soil preparation, including cardboard, compost, and mulch to suppress weeds and build fungal-rich soil
- How sites are chosen through collaboration with municipal staff, parks departments, and local partners
- Why publicly accessible land is a priority for Little Forests Durham projects
- The logistics behind site prep, including access for trucks, compost delivery, mulch spreading, and volunteer coordination
- How volunteers help with planting days, often in large numbers, making it possible to plant hundreds of trees and shrubs in a short time
- Why planting design still matters, even in a more naturalized system, with careful placement of canopy trees, understory trees, and shrubs
- The realities of maintenance, including weeding, invasive species removal, tree protection, fencing, and monitoring for drought
- How mini forests help address climate change by increasing biodiversity, cooling urban spaces, and creating habitat for wildlife
- The role of partnerships with organizations such as Rotary Clubs, conservation authorities, Green Communities Canada, Greenbelt Foundation, and Trees for Life
- The group’s ambitious goal of planting 30 mini forests by 2030 in Durham Region
- How listeners can support the effort through volunteering, joining the team, donating, or helping bring projects to their own communities
- The idea that homeowners can create smaller-scale versions in their own yards, known as pocket forests
- Ingrid’s love of native trees, with a special mention of her flowering dogwood, grown from seed she collected herself
On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.