Our 2024 Pocket Forest are settling in for winter

By Claire Seybold

The leaves are on the ground, the days are getting shorter and cooler, and the planting season has come to an end for another year. Now is the time to reflect on the previous season, figure out what worked and what can be improved, and plan for next year.

Our Pocket Forest program, where we work with homeowners to plant native trees and shrubs as gifts to the Earth, had a wonderful first season! Between May and October 2024, we planted a total of 800 trees and shrubs (428 trees and 372 shrubs) at 30 homes across the city as well as two in the naturalized areas of Lawrence and Meadowbrook parks!

people planting a pocket forest in a backyard

Here are a few of reasons people planted Pocket Forests:

grow a food forest so her young child could snack on fresh berries, fruits, and nuts
soak up the rainwater that pools in a backyard every spring
shade the house to reduce air conditioning costs
replace invasive European Buckthorn
create a private sanctuary in the front yard
reduce noise pollution from the 401
attract birds, butterflies and pollinators
eliminate the need to mow
support pollinators and birds
enjoy beautiful spring flowers and bountiful berries in the fall

And of course, there was a strong desire to take action on climate change and biodiversity loss.

Geoffrey Hart, a semi-retired forester and science editor who worked with Little Forests Kingston to plant his own Pocket Forest this summer, said he has grown increasingly concerned about the need for a greener city:

“I’m particularly worried about air pollution and heat island effects, not to mention the loss of biodiversity in urban areas. One thing that attracted me to Little Forests was their emphasis on creating ecologically diverse tree and shrub communities with large benefits for wildlife, including pollinators.”

We planted along fences, at the top of ditches, beside sheds, under existing trees, and in large open expanses of lawn. One person with a very large front yard that took far too long to mow even planted three separate groves!

lincoln drive pocket forest and pollinator ditch planting

While many planted the pocket forests in their backyards, some transformed their front yards. Two neighbours even collaborated on a front yard design that included native grasses, sedges, and wildflowers — transforming their ditch into a pollinator and bird haven. Birds even contributed Pokeweed to the planting!

cardboard smother grass in preparation for pocket forest

For many, planting pocket forests was their first experience with native plants or with gardening. That’s why they found our help in determining their goals, in selecting, sourcing, and planting the pocket forests, and our education on caring for their new forests so valuable. This makes reimagining lawns accessible to everyone.

sign for reimagining lawns: plant native. heal Earth. grow a City in a Forest.

Next year watch for signs popping up in your neighbourhood! We'd love your feedback on this first draft of our Reimagine Lawns sign! Email joyce@littleforests.org

Thank you to the Plants, the Soil, the Mycorrhizae, Public Works, our donors, partners, volunteers, and homeowners for helping make this possible! We look forward to another amazing season in 2025 of gifting Pocket Forests, Pocket Hedgerows, and Pocket Meadows to the Earth!