Miyawaki Mini Forest and Campus Garden

UB Sustainability is creating a Miyawaki Mini Forest at the community garden near the GRoW Clean Energy Center on Flint Road. The Miyawaki method helps develop a dense, self-sustaining ecosystem. We plan to plant 1,400 trees in just 300 square meters in November. We need your help as a volunteer to support this effort and create real ecosystems on North Campus.

WATCH ▶️ Plant By Plant [2:05]

Plant by plant, we're building a legacy of sustainability—one rooted in biodiversity, community, and the future of our planet.

This video contains instrumental music.

WATCH ▶️ Plant By Plant [2:05]

Plant by plant, we're building a legacy of sustainability—one rooted in biodiversity, community, and the future of our planet.

This video contains instrumental music.

Miyawaki Mini-Forest

Join Us 🌱

We need your help! Join our mail list for updates about our planting days.

Sign up to help here!

What is a Miyawaki Mini Forest?

A Miyawaki Mini Forest, also called a "Tiny Forest" or "Mini Forest," is a small, densely planted area of native trees and shrubs designed to mimic a natural forest ecosystem by using the Miyawaki method, which involves planting a high diversity of local species close together to encourage rapid growth and high biodiversity in a relatively small space; essentially creating a miniature forest that matures quickly compared to traditional planting methods.

Zoom image: UB Sustainability is creating a Miyawaki Mini Forest and Campus Garden at the GRoW Clean Energy Center UB Sustainability is creating a Miyawaki Mini Forest and Campus Garden at the GRoW Clean Energy Center

Campus Garden

Located next to the GRoW Clean Energy Center, the GRoW Garden is a welcoming space open to all UB students, faculty, and staff. With 11 raised beds, the garden comes alive each year from May through October. In addition to fostering community and hands-on learning, the GRoW Garden supports food security on campus by contributing harvests to UB’s food pantry, Blue Table.

Our Gardeners

  • Assessment and Research
  • Engineers for a Sustainable World
  • Alpha Kappa Chi
  • CSEP
  • Campus Facilities
  • Office of Academics and Student Affairs
  • Liberty Partnerships Program 
  • School of Management 
  • Law School 
  • Graduate School of Education

Reserve a Garden Bed!

Are you part of a club, organization or campus department looking to build community through gardening? Sign up for a garden bed to cultivate something meaningful with your group!

Our application is currently closed, but check back in the Spring!

Gardening Resources

Interested in Growing Vegetable Throughout the Fall?

Here's your chance to extend the growing season and plant new veggies.

Late August is a perfect time to plant for a fall and/or winter harvest.

Check out some of the veggies that are good to plant now in Zone 6B:

  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Turnips
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Kale
  • Bok Choi
  • Broccoli
Fall Crops.