Cardboard layer
The Story of the Little Forest
We at the Lennox & Addington Stewardship Council decided to create a Little Forest in Napanee because this is an exciting way to grow a forest quickly and to involve the greater community and surrounding schools. We look forward to offering the nearby school students a real opportunity to learn in nature.
Little Forests are small, dense planting areas that feature native trees and shrubs. They help to enhance biodiversity, buffer effects of climate change and support local wildlife.
The first Little Forest in Napanee — about 100 metres square — is on a site owned by the Town of Greater Napanee, a green space next to Monsignor J.J. O’Neill Catholic School on Marilyn Avenue.
In 2024, the Lennox & Addington Stewardship Council invited community members to two events: 1. To learn about Little Forests. 2. To help design the Little Forest site.
In October 2024, members of the Lennox & Addington Stewardship Council and partners laid the soil amendments (cardboard, compost, straw, wood chips) with valuable help from several classes from Napanee District Secondary School. The job went very quickly with their assistance. This step ensures the plants have a healthy medium for growing.
In September 2025, members of the council and partners planted 300 trees and shrubs at the site. Again with lots of help from Napanee District Secondary School classes.
Marilyn Murray, chair of the Stewardship Council, said “These are native plants, so they support native insects and wildlife. This increases biodiversity. And, in terms of the actual project, it engages a community in the importance of planting trees. We’ve had classes of Napanee District Secondary school students involved in the site prep and the planting, and it’s a very hands-on, positive thing that we can do for the climate.”
Dr. Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist, developed the technique to restore natural vegetation on degraded lands. The idea is for a Little Forest to transform a small urban barren plot into one packed with multi-level vegetation, trees, and complex ecosystems.
A Little Forest increases the urban canopy and biodiversity, providing habitat for birds and small animals. It provides health benefits to its citizens, particularly the elderly and the very young, who are most vulnerable to extreme heat events.
This project is a partnership led by the Lennox & Addington Stewardship Council with the valuable assistance of