At first glance, the ten-square-metre garden patch in a rural area of Southern Ontario doesn’t look all that impressive.
But, according to Canadian non-profit Beyond21 Academy, a tiny “pocket forest” like this one, densely packed with native plants, may offer a simple tool that anyone can harness to potentially help mitigate climate change. And when implemented at scale, this could make a broader collective impact while boosting biodiversity as well.
By using a technique that involves planting a diverse array of native shrubs and flora tightly in a small area, these dense, multi-layered and fast maturing ecosystems may be able to capture more carbon than the average garden – while fitting in the average urban backyard.
It’s called the Miyawaki forest method, developed by Japanese botanist and ecologist Akira Miyawaki, and Beyond21 Academy is researching the optimal way to implement the technique for maximum carbon uptake.
In a “living lab” located in the Mount Hope area of Hamilton, Ont., Beyond21 Academy has planted 18 microforests measuring three metres by three metres, each plot slightly different in terms of biodiversity and density, but all featuring plants that are native to the local area.
This research, supported by Scotiabank’s Climate Action Research Fund, involves testing soil at the surface and below ground at each of the pocket forests over time to gauge which configuration can capture the most carbon. The sustainability-focused organization’s goal is to use their findings to educate and encourage others to plant their own pocket forests, helping to make a collective impact.
“What we're hoping to get from this research is that we're able to characterize what is the best approach to a pocket forest from a local carbon sequestration perspective,” said Greg Zilberbrant, Beyond21 Academy’s Executive Director.
“So what we want to do is then be able to translate that information to individuals or organizations, whether that be schools, institutional landowners or individual homeowners.”
Whether they can commit to ten square metres or 30 square metres, it all helps, said Dr. Zilberbrant, who is also Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.
“The goal is to get more and more Canadians looking at their own property as an opportunity for climate action. We’re not suggesting people need to commit their entire property – rather dedicating a small space to potentially have a meaningful impact through carbon sequestration, leaving plenty of room for their own enjoyment.”
Beyond21 Academy also offers courses – many of which have a hands-on, outdoor element – on topics such as pocket forests, circular economy, and sustainable innovation.
Climate Action Research Fund grant recipients
In 2024, Beyond21 Academy was one of 10 recipients of Scotiabank’s Climate Action Research Fund, a 10-year, $10-million initiative launched in 2021 that provides grants to organizations conducting research and exploring climate-related initiatives. Since launch, the fund has supported more than 50 registered charities and non-profit organizations.
On Nov. 13, the 2025 cohort of grant recipients were announced:
The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago
Propulsion Quebec
McMaster University
University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) in Peru
Ocean Wise Conservation Association
The University of British Columbia
Simon Fraser University
The University of Waterloo
University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation
Queen’s University
“Innovation and research is key in the transition to a lower-carbon economy,” said Kim Brand, Vice President, Global Sustainable Business at Scotiabank. “At Scotiabank, we believe that research and collaboration can unlock practical solutions for businesses, communities, and individuals alike. The goal of the Climate Action Research Fund is to help great ideas, like those of Beyond21 Academy, to come to life in support of a more sustainable future.
The support Beyond21 Academy received from Scotiabank’s Climate Action Research Fund was instrumental, said Dr. Zilberbrant.
“Really, none of this could have happened without Scotiabank support,” he said. “We use the funds for our equipment, lab costs, the plots themselves, the plants. So pretty much everything you see here from a research perspective was as a result of Scotiabank’s contribution.”
Miyawaki forest approach adapted for Canada
The Miyawaki forest method was developed in the early 1970s and aims to mimic local natural forest ecosystems by multi-layered dense planting of native tree and shrub species, roughly three to five plants per square metre, in an area as small as 10 square metres.
Miyawaki’s research, which was conducted all across Asia, showed that through his technique they can create mature forests in 30 years, instead of the typical 100 to 200 years, said Negin Ficzkowski, Beyond21 Academy’s Manager, Applied Research & Community Initiatives.
Much research has already been done looking at the impacts of Miyawaki forests on accelerated growth rate, but few have looked specifically at carbon capture efficiency and sequestration, said Dr. Ficzkowski, who also teaches at McMaster University.
Beyond21 Academy leveraged Miyawaki’s theory but adapted it for Canada’s climate and environment, she added. Their research aims to determine what approach is most efficient and cost effective terms of carbon uptake.
“What we are trying to specifically study is how can we make these tools more accessible to everybody to have essentially in their own backyards,” Dr. Ficzkowski said. “So we know that the uptake of carbon through these pocket forests are higher than regular plantation or even forestation methodologies. But we are trying to figure out at what point it would make more sense from a cost perspective.”
These pocket forests have been created in small urban spaces, such as backyards or even rooftops, she added.
A pocket forest in Beyond21 Academy's living lab in Hamilton, Ont.
Forests, plants help carbon sequestration
On Beyond21 Academy’s four acres of land in the outskirts of Hamilton, Ont., its living lab began operating roughly one year ago, starting with research to create a list of plant species specific to the region, the soil and the climate.
In Mount Hope, that includes common trees and shrubs such as maple and raspberry, but also rare plants such as the Kentucky coffee tree.
They began preparing the soil in April of this year and planted the pocket forests in May. There are 30 plots, 18 of which are Miyawaki forests; the rest use more conventional methods or no planting to act as a baseline for comparison.
This fall, the researchers started taking samples to test above and below ground to gauge carbon sequestration levels, comparing between the different plots.
Beyond21 Academy plans to monitor and measure these pocket forests for as long as 15 years, but hope to have some useful findings along the way that they will share publicly.
“We'll be watching these forests for as long as we can, because natural research is measured in decades, not necessarily months or even years,” said Dr. Zilberbrant.
“But our goal is to have a good understanding of what is happening with these forests in the first 10 years. We're also very mindful that climate action is not something that can wait 50 years. So we will collect information and be able to provide that knowledge to folks as we go along.”
