Published on Friday, 5 June 2026 at 12:38:31 PM
A popular urban greening initiative will see local students create a biodiverse urban forest in East Fremantle this month.
In partnership with Richmond Primary School and Murdoch University, Town of East Fremantle will help to deliver a Miyawaki forest on the school grounds.
Originating from Japan, Miyawaki forests are a popular method for rapid urban greening.
Around 300 local native plants will be planted to create a 100-square metre forest.
The Town contributed $17,700 towards the project, reinforcing its commitment to building a sustainable future and encouraging community initiatives that expand green spaces.
Ahead of the planting day on Wednesday 10 June, students will learn about the Miyawaki method and how to plant the forests, from Dr Grey Coupland from Murdoch University who developed and leads the Miyawaki Forest Program.
Town of East Fremantle Mayor Tony Natale said he was proud of the unique partnership between Richmond Primary School and Murdoch University.
“This an exciting project for the Town to be involved in, and reinforces our commitment to urban greening in the Town,” he said.
“Partnerships and engagement with local schools and community members are also an important objective in our Climate Emergency Action Plan 2023-2033.”
Members of the Town’s Climate Action Reference Group and Town Councillors will be on site to assist on the day.
“It will be exciting to see the students become ‘citizen scientists’ who will plant and monitor their own forest over the next few years,” Mayor Natale added.
“We are also keen to see the results from Murdoch University’s study on how the forest has helped young people in our community.”
The Town plans to use the project as a pilot for another Miyawaki forest planting opportunity in 2027.
About Miyawaki forests
The planting methodology has three key components. These include planting locally native plant species. These species are what would have been growing on the site before the site was cleared for urbanisation.
Before planting, the soil undergoes intensive remediation, and the plants are planted at high density. This creates a situation in which the plants grow quickly and develop habitat at a rapid rate.
Miyawaki forests can be up to 18 times more biodiverse and up to10 times denser than when using traditional greening and reforestation practices.
As part of the program, PhD student, Ines Zevallos is investigating the impact of participation in the Miyawaki Forest Program on children’s wellbeing and nature connectedness.
To date, 17 schools in the Perth metropolitan area have created a Miyawaki forest with the Miyawaki Forest Program, with 24 forests planted as part of the initiative, including community forests and one as a demonstration forest with the Department of Education.
Image supplied by Murdoch University.
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