Mini Forests Project Plan

• Early community support and local engagement are vital to reducing negativity and gaining volunteers.

• Locations should connect like stepping stones to create wildlife corridors.

• Safeguard from future disturbance by avoiding areas with underground pipes, cables, and services.

• Avoid areas with overhead street lighting, telegraph cables, and proximity to nearby buildings.

• Avoid roadside and pavement areas to avoid issues with fallen autumn leaves.

• Large estate lawns provide ample potential locations and many will receive shielding from road traffic noise and pollution.

• The curbside appeal of these forests to residents and visitors is crucial to their success and must be seen as positive additions to the neighbourhood. 

• These pocket woodlands are very dense and you can't easily walk through them. This is great for making barriers that perform like hedges and the planting area is small enough to walk around them.

• The trees will initially quickly grow with a low failure rate. However, after a decade of competing, there will be a high mortality rate as dominant species compete for space.

• The trees, shrubs, and even the buffer zone plants/grasses will create the forest's seasonal appearance, maintenance requirements, and uses by wildlife, birds, bugs, fungi, etc.

• Forests contain vertical layers and the plant species chosen should fulfill these requirements. There is an opportunity to 'design' the appearance whilst remaining practical. Potential fruit forest?

• Opportunity for seating areas, classroom spaces, paths through, and places to view and experience the woodland?

• Will the forests connect to neighbouring green spaces via summer meadows or require additional low-level planting?

• Are there opportunities to provide for future additions such as sculpture trails or sensory features?

Mulch

• Smiths SuperValu could provide cardboard.

• The community schools could collect and provide newspapers.

• Local horse stables could provide manure.

• Meath Council Council could source and provide mulch

• Local tree surgeons could provide wood chippings 

• Perform Soil Test

• The soil should not be dug over unless drainage is a major issue. 

• The year before planting the site should be prepared by layering mulch, manure, and weed suppression cardboard.

• Low-level fencing should be erected to keep pets and people off the area.

• Signage and information panels should be erected to reduce negativity while the site establishes itself.

• Planting is labor-intensive therefore involve schools, residents, and environmental groups.

• 3 to 5 trees/shrubs per sqm (600 plants per 200 sqm plot) based on colour, fruit, flower, evergreen or deciduous.

• Record growth progress.

• Add biological enhancements and mulch.

• Suppress grasses and weeds by pressing down.