Planting a Forest for the Future: Our Miyawaki Mini-Forest at Origin
There’s something quietly powerful about planting a tree.
Not just the act itself, but what it represents. Hope. Patience. Restoration. A belief that the future can be different from the past.
Over the past few months at Origin, we’ve been taking a step into that future by beginning something we’ve dreamed about for a long time… planting our own Miyawaki mini-forest on site.
And not just any forest. A dense, thriving, native woodland built in partnership with the 100 Million Trees Project, as part of a wider movement to restore biodiversity across Ireland. Thank you to Tina from 100MT for helping make this happen!
What is a Miyawaki forest?
A Miyawaki forest is a different way of planting trees.
Instead of spacing trees out in neat rows, this method plants them very densely, mimicking how forests naturally regenerate. The result is something that grows faster, becomes more resilient, and supports far more life than traditional planting.
These forests:
- Grow up to 10 times faster
- Become self-sustaining within a few years
- Create rich habitats for wildlife
- Improve soil health and water retention
- Capture carbon quickly
The method was developed by Japanese botanist Professor Akira Miyawaki and has now been used to create over 1,700 forests worldwide.
But what really stands out isn’t just the science, it’s the feeling of them. Step into one after a few years and it feels alive in a way that’s hard to describe. Dense. Wild. Full of sound.
Our ¼ Acre Forest at Origin
At Origin, we’re planting our forest on a ¼ acre space, which might sound small, but in Miyawaki terms, that’s exactly the point.
These forests are designed to fit into small spaces and make a big ecological impact. In fact, projects like this often plant up to 2,500 native trees in just a quarter acre.
That means in a relatively small patch of land, we’re creating:
A dense canopy
A layered ecosystem
A space for birds, insects, fungi and wildlife to return
And this is just the beginning.
Over the coming years, we hope to expand this work across more of the land at Origin, planting additional areas and continuing to restore space back to nature.
This isn’t landscaping.
It’s restoration.
Working with the 100 Million Trees Project
We’re incredibly grateful to be working alongside the 100 Million Trees Project, a not-for-profit initiative with a bold but simple goal:
‘Plant 100 million native Irish trees across the island of Ireland over the next decade.’
What we love about this project is that it’s not just about scale, it’s about community-led action.
Their approach focuses on:
- Planting native Irish species like oak, birch, rowan and hazel
- Creating small, dense “mini-forests” across local sites
- Empowering communities to take part in real, hands-on change
These forests don’t just look good. They:
- Support biodiversity
- Improve air and soil quality
- Help manage water and reduce flooding
- Act as rapid carbon sinks
It’s practical, grounded, and deeply hopeful.
Why this matters at Origin
At Origin, everything we do is about connection.
Connection to nature.
Connection to ourselves.
Connection to each other.
This forest sits right at the heart of that.
In a few years, this won’t just be a planting area. It will be:
- A place for quiet reflection
- A space for therapy and nature-based work
- A living example of regeneration
- A reminder that growth is possible, even after disruption
There’s something deeply aligned between the Miyawaki method and our DNA as a community.
Both are about creating the right conditions…
and trusting what grows.
A Forest We Grow Together
One of the most meaningful parts of this project is that it isn’t something done for the community.
Everyone has the chance to get involved. To plant. To care. To watch it grow.
And that matters.
Because when you plant a tree, you don’t just change the land.
You change your relationship with it.
Looking ahead
Right now, it’s small. Young. Just getting started.
But forests always are.
In a few years, this space will be unrecognisable.
In a decade, it will feel like it has always been here.
And long after us, it will keep growing.
That’s the beauty of it.
