Things to see!
Recommended Resources
A hand-picked collection of our favorite books, videos, articles, and websites for learning more about trees, climate, and community greening.
Books for Kids (Ages 8-12)
- Nature’s Best Hope: How You Can Save the World in Your Own Yard (Young Readers’ Edition), Douglas W. Tallamy
- Can You Hear the Trees Talking?, Peter Wohlleben (with free curriculum guide)
- Do You Know Where the Animals Live?, Peter Wohlleben (with free curriculum guide)
- Peter and the Tree Children, Peter Wohlleben (with free curriculum guide)
Books
- Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard, Douglas W. Tallamy
- The Nature of Oaks, Douglas W. Tallamy (watch the YouTube video)
- The Mini-Forest Revolution: Rapidly Rewild the World Using the Miyawaki Method, Hannah Lewis (watch the YouTube video)
- How to Love a Forest, Ethan Tapper (also see his Tree Identification videos)
- From Wasteland to Wonder, Basil Camu (download the free ebook)
- Handbook: Tiny Forest Planting Method, 2019 (download the free PDF)
- Micro-Forêt Urbaine – Toulouse en Transition (in French)
- La MiniBigForest (in French)
Videos, Articles, and Websites
- ▶️ How Plants Cool the Planet: excellent overview (6 min video)
- ▶️ How to grow a forest in your backyard | Shubhendu Sharma | TED Talk: best short explanation of a microforest (10 min video)
- ▶️ The Urban Forests documentary (11 min video), by Urban Forests
- 📄 The Miyawaki method – Data & concepts (PDF): a compilation of data and insights from existing Miyawaki forests studies
- ▶️ Forest Creation Tutorials: DIY video course (11 videos, 5 to 25 min each), by Afforestt
- 📄 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Afforestation by Miyawaki Method (PDF), by Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and Afforestt
- ▶️ Tiny Forest documentary on the effects of the Miyawaki method in the Netherlands (9 min video), by IVN Natuureducatie
- ▶️ The Return of Old Growth Forests (57 min video): Understand the nature of forests, especially about their role in Earth’s water cycle, see explanation by Anastassia Makarieva at 37:30
- 📄 Citizen Science and determining diversity in Tiny Forest Zaanstad (Google Doc): our translation from the Dutch Tiny Forest Zaanstad, by Wageningen Environmental Research
- 📄 Urban Micro Lungs Implementation Manual: Creating Sustainable Forests in Record Time (PDF): Raja Abdelmalek helped plant 2 forests in Jordan and shared this handbook with Forests for Watertown (in Arabic and English)
- 📄 Native Plant Site Solutions for Backyard Habitat (PDF): A how-to guide for designers and homeowners interested in enhancing wildlife habitat value in urban and suburban areas, by University of Rhode Island. Keyword: guilds (or “models” as used in this booklet)
- 📄 Classification of the Natural Communities of Massachusetts (PDF)
- 📄 Create a mini-forest (article), by Plant NOVA Trees | Promoting Native Trees in Northern Virginia
- 📄 Report of the Climate Forestry Committee: Recommendations for Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines January 2024 (PDF): “…disturbing the forests of Massachusetts as little as possible and allowing forests to grow and age through passive management is generally the best approach for maximizing carbon, ecological integrity, and soil health. However, Massachusetts must manage forests for multiple purposes and benefits simultaneously. “
- 🌐 From the Ground Up (website): Conversations about conservation, climate, and communities in New England
- 🌐 The Massachusetts Keystone Project (website): Keystone Cooperators make a significant conservation difference at the local level by transferring information and ideas to landowners and decision-makers.
- 🌐 Tiny Forest Groene Woud (website), by IVN Natuureducatie (in Dutch)
Watertown Resources
- Resilient Watertown: Learn about Resilient Watertown’s initiatives and how you can get involved in climate action.
- Resilient Watertown Climate and Energy Plan (March 2024), Update (November 18, 2024)