The University of Iowa is set to expand its green initiatives with a new Miyawaki forest project. Following the success of its inaugural forest in 2025, which boasted impressive growth and survival rates, the university plans to establish a second forest on Arbor Day 2026.
Volunteers Needed for Planting
Want to help plant the next Miyawaki forest?
Volunteers are needed from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, April 24, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25, to help plant 2,000 seedlings near the College of Public Health Building, 145 N. Riverside Drive.
Volunteers should wear long pants and closed-toed shoes that can get dirty and bring a full water bottle. A limited number of shovels and nitrile gloves will be available; participants may bring their own garden gloves or tools.
More information can be found on the UI Events Calendar.
Located at the southeast corner of the College of Public Health Building, the new forest will occupy a one-tenth acre site. This location was chosen for both practical reasons and environmental benefits, such as challenging mowing conditions due to surrounding slopes and its separation from adjacent turf.
“Why not plant trees there?” says Andy Dahl, who is the landscape urban forest supervisor and arborist with UI Landscape Services. “The trees will contribute far more to the environment than turf — creating shade, reducing heat, and providing a visual screen from the highway.”
Success of the First Miyawaki Forest
The initial Miyawaki forest, planted near Hillcrest Residence Hall, involved about 4,000 native seedlings and demonstrated high survival rates and robust early growth. “The first forest is doing very well,” notes Dahl. “After seeing that success, I started noticing potential Miyawaki forests everywhere I went on campus and hoped we could add another.”
The new forest will be about half the size of the original, with around 2,000 seedlings to be planted by university staff, students, and volunteers on April 24 and 25. This day also coincides with Arbor Day celebrations.
Miyawaki forests utilize a dense planting approach, placing trees and shrubs 1 to 2 feet apart, leading to faster forest maturity compared to traditional methods. “They help increase biodiversity, manage stormwater, and even reduce local temperatures and air pollutants over time,” explains Brinda Shetty from the Office of Sustainability and the Environment. “The first planting was incredibly successful and felt like a celebration of spring — it brought campus and the Iowa City community together for a shared purpose.”
Community Engagement and Environmental Impact
Community involvement was crucial to the success of the first project, with roughly 400 volunteers participating over four days in 2025. “One thing that really stood out was how many people told us they were planting their very first tree,” says Beth MacKenzie, sustainability program manager. “It’s powerful to think they can return years from now, see how the forest has grown, and feel a lasting connection knowing they helped make it happen.”
The University of Iowa’s ongoing commitment to tree stewardship is further emphasized by this second forest project. The university maintains about 9,000 trees representing more than 350 species and has been acknowledged as a Tree Campus Higher Education university by the Arbor Day Foundation for 17 consecutive years, along with a Level II arboretum accreditation.
“These trees will grow, provide shade, clean air, and support wildlife,” Dahl emphasizes. “When you join us, you’re helping to build something that will live on long after we’re gone — shaping a greener, healthier future for Iowa.”
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