The healthy growth of any planting project depends on its foundation: the soil provides the structure, nutrients, and microbial life that our gardens and forests need to thrive. In return, those gardens and forests can also help to restore and maintain the health of the soil for generations to come. This is true for a drought-tolerant rain garden, a raised vegetable bed, a farmer’s field, your neighbourhood trees, and also our work across the country creating urban mini forests.
Mini forests are small but mighty ecosystems. Based on the Miyawaki method, these forests are composed of dense, diverse mixes of native species. Mini forests are small wonders that deliver many benefits. They mimic the structure of natural forests. They boost biodiversity. They capture carbon, and they help cities adapt to climate change. But the success of a mini forest in doing all those things starts with the same strong foundation any planting project needs – healthy soil.
That’s why Green Communities Canada has begun an exciting partnership with the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Starting in Spring 2025, we are working together to dig deeper into what makes mini forests thrive.
Vineland’s Soil and Substrate Lab is conducting baseline soil sampling at these five mini forest planting sites across Canada:
- Eastview Public School in Scarborough, Ontario, is an elementary school in a dense Toronto neighborhood, surrounded by pavement and residential housing.
- Gloucester Park in Langley, BC, sits in a suburban park on the edge of the Metro Vancouver area. The Langley Environmental Partners Society will be planting a new mini forest in this location.
- Craig Kielburger Secondary School in Milton, Ontario is in a large, fast-growing high school in a Greater Toronto Area community. This will be their second mini forest on school grounds.
- Logan Avenue in Welland, Ontario, is a municipal green space located adjacent to a roadway and bordered by a residential area. The City of Welland is partnering with Niagara Peninsula Conservation to plant a new mini forest at this site.
- Parish Park in St. Thomas, Ontario, is a community green space, adjacent to a recreational path. The City of St. Thomas is leading the new mini forest installation.
Parish Park in St. Thomas, ON, which will be home to a new mini forest in Fall 2025.
Vineland’s team trained these five partners on how to sample their soils. The samples were then shipped to Vineland for analysis. Four of these are urban sites, each within communities where land has often been disturbed, compacted, or developed over time. The fifth site, in Langley, British Columbia, is adjacent to a natural area and stream, and demonstrates higher soil quality.
At each site, researchers assessed the physical, chemical, and biological health of soils at multiple depths. They measured indicators like organic matter, microbial activity, nutrient availability, and carbon storage.
To set each mini forest up for success, Vineland provided tailored recommendations. To address site-specific nutrient gaps—such as phosphorus and potassium deficiencies, or the low subsoil fertility found at multiple sites—Vineland recommended using targeted soil amendments. These treatments will help balance nutrient availability and create conditions where trees can take root more effectively.
“Healthy roots need healthy soil. Baseline soil analysis helps guide the right amendments and species selection to ensure mini forests succeed for the long term,” shared Olivia Marshall, Senior Research Technician at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
Across all locations, boosting organic matter was a top priority. Adding compost and mulch will improve soil structure, retain moisture, and provide a steady source of nutrients as the forests establish.
Equally important is matching native tree and shrub species to the local soil conditions. Communities can choose plants that are naturally suited to each site’s physical and chemical profile. This matching can increase survival rates and support faster ecosystem development. Examples of recommended species include Western Redcedar, Western Hemlock, and Black Cottonwood in BC, as well as American Elm, Basswood, Shumard Oak, and Freeman Maple in Ontario.
Together, these five sites reflect the range of contexts where community-led mini forests are being planted across the country: schoolyards, parks, and municipal lands, in both urban and suburban settings. Vineland’s soil research helps ensure these mini forests are set up for long-term success, offering a blueprint for future mini forest installations.
As Green Communities Canada’s mini forest network expands, partnerships like this will continue to strengthen the scientific basis for community-led climate action.
Green Communities Canada is grateful to our partners in this project: Eastview Public School, Langley Environmental Partners Society, Craig Kielburger Secondary School, City of Welland, and City of St. Thomas for participating in this study, and to Vineland Research and Innovation Centre for their informative work.
This initiative – like everything we do at GCC – requires funding. Thanks to support from RBC Tech for Nature, we are able to dig deeper and ensure mini forests have solid foundations across Canada.
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