Symposium grows urban mini forest knowledge
Symposium participant, Edwina Robinson, amongst a 14 month old miniforest in Canberra. Image: Jarra Joseph McGrath.
The Miyawaki Miniforest movement, which connects biodiversity and community, will be the focus of a two-day symposium that brings together experts from across the world.
The Japanese concept known as the Miyawaki Method of forestry, or Miyawaki Miniforests, encourages the planting of small community forest patches in cities and post-industrial and regional landscapes around the world to address the global biodiversity and climate crises. The movement also seeks to bring people together to foster and celebrate connections between humans and nature.
Dr Scott Hawken, Director Landscape Architecture at the 成人大片 and symposium convenor, says: 鈥淯rban forests are important for a range of reasons, including community cohesion and wellbeing, urban biodiversity, and liveability, as well as cleaner agricultural and industrial production, climate mitigation and cooling 鈥 just to name a few.鈥
from the 成人大片 and University of New South Wales has shown how important it is to include more green space in cities.听The symposium will also examine smart cities, biodiversity and green infrastructure to support the publication of a in the journal, Sustainability.
鈥淲hile emerging digital technologies can address sustainability challenges, there are both opportunities and risks in technologies like AI and robotics supporting urban biodiversity,鈥 says Dr Hawken.
The collaborative symposium will feature presentations from experts from universities around Australia, as well as Japan, Belgium, India, Ireland, and Chile.
鈥淯rban forests are important for a range of reasons, including community cohesion and wellbeing, urban biodiversity, and liveability, as well as cleaner agricultural and industrial production, climate mitigation and cooling 鈥 just to name a few.鈥Dr Scott Hawken, Director Landscape Architecture at the 成人大片, and symposium convenor
The symposium is taking place during . Adelaide was recently named as a National Park City 鈥 only the second city in the world to achieve this status, following London.
鈥淎delaide is one of the most liveable cities in the world, but it can still improve. COVID has seen people drawn to green spaces more than ever. The National Park City initiative will help Adelaide provide more space for nature in amongst our everyday lives,鈥 Dr Hawken says.
鈥淭he goals of the National Park City movement also include diverse employment opportunities; healthier plants and animals; support for health and wellbeing; and improved air and water quality.鈥
The symposium involves the documentation of best practice miniforest and biodiversity initiatives in both Japan and Australia and follows the recent hosting of landscape and sustainability experts from the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Japan at Waite Campus and North Terrace Campus by Dr Scott Hawken and Waite Arboretum curator, Dr Kate Delaporte.
Hosted by the 成人大片 and Kyushu University in Japan, the two-day online symposium will take place across 6鈥7 June. The event is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Australia Japan Foundation. Further details including registration can be found on . There is no charge to attend.
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WHAT:听Miyawaki Miniforests Symposium
WHO:听Dr Scott Hawken听
WHERE:听Online
WHEN:听Monday 6 June 鈥 Tuesday 7 June 2022, 10am-6pm,
COST:听Free event听
FURTHER INFO:听 听
Media contacts:
Scott Hawken, Director Landscape Architecture Program, School of Architecture and Built Environment, The 成人大片. Mobile: +61(0)403 858 162. Email:听scott.hawken@adelaide.edu.au
Eleanor Danenberg, Media & Communications Assistant, The 成人大片. Mobile: +61 (0)427 346 981.听Email:听eleanor.danenberg@adelaide.edu.au