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Mini Forest in Cedar
The Rotary Club of Nanaimo partnered with Snuneymuxw First Nation and Green Communities Canada to create the first mini forest on Vancouver Island.
Located in front of the new transitional housing complex on Snuneymuxw Territory in Cedar, the mini forest features over 1,000 native trees and shrubs that are planted close to each other. Densely planted, mini forests are self-sustaining and are beneficial in many ways, including promoting biodiversity, reducing runoff, improving air quality in urban areas, providing mental health benefits and creating wildlife habitat.
Although small in scale, with the three planted beds measuring approximately 2,000 square feet total, creating the mini forest required the expertise and support of many over several months, including $13,500 in funding, landscaping expertise (plant selection, procurement and placement) and project logistics from the Rotary Club of Nanaimo; site preparation, topsoil application and project logistics from Snuneymuxw First Nation; $10, 000 in funding and mini forest expertise from Green Communities Canada; and $3,000 in funding from the City of Nanaimo.
“A heartfelt thanks goes to Cinnabar Farms, Streamside Native Plants in Bowser and Nanaimo Area Land Trust for their generous support and enthusiasm for the project. We are also grateful to all the volunteers from the Rotary Club of Nanaimo, Snuneymuxw First Nation, Green Communities Canada, Rotaract and the community who worked shoulder to shoulder to plant the mini forest in just half a day,” says Rebecca Taylor, president, Rotary Club of Nanaimo.
“As a service organization, it was deeply satisfying for our members to not only fund this meaningful project, but also work with the Snuneymuxw First Nation and Green Communities Canada to make it happen,” says Taylor
