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Day of recap...

Urban Microforest Planting Event
at West LA College on Saturday, March 8

A planting day for a new campus microforest will be held at West Los Angeles College (WLAC) on Saturday, March 8 from 9:30am to 1:00 pm. College students and staff, local high school Upward Bound students, and community members will be spreading seeds and transplanting tree saplings and starter shrubs into an approximately 12,600 square foot space that faces the main campus thoroughfare, Wildcat Walkway.  To participate in the planting event, visit WLAC.edu > click Events.

Once planted, the community can view the microforest from Wildcat Walkway on the top level of campus from dawn to dusk whenever the college is open. Parking is available immediately next to the forest in the S. Parking Structure for $2.00. Bus riders can catch the Culver City Green Bus to the center of campus and make their way up to the microforest.

�þ���Ƶ Microforest

Urban microforests — also known as pocket, mini, or tiny forests — use a layered planting technique inspired by the Miyawaki Method to mimic natural forests and restore local biodiversity. Fast-growing species establish quickly, outcompeting weeds, improving soil health, and supporting slower-growing trees. After a few years of initial care, microforests become self-sustaining, thriving on natural rainfall and providing vital habitat for insects, lizards, birds, and small mammals. In addition to enhancing biodiversity, microforests support mental and physical well-being by purifying the air, providing cooling benefits, creating spaces for relaxation and social interaction, and offering direct access to nature’s restorative power. WLAC’s microforest will contain California native plants and trees such as blue elderberry, mugwort, coyotebrush, toyon, southern California black walnut, golden currant, and more.

Seed to Landscape owner Katherine Pakradouni and creator of LAMicroForests.com said, “The microforest at West isn’t just helping our environment, it is also helping to inform and refine the microforest methodology so that we can most successfully adapt our ecological restoration approach to accommodate the uniqueness and challenges of our climate.  Each new microforest we install becomes a test site from which we gather data to determine best practices for the successful establishment and thriving of each future project.”

“This new initiative is a great complement to our unique Climate Change and Environmental Studies degree and related certificates,” said Dr. James M. Limbaugh, WLAC President. “The site is actually adjacent to our one-of-its-kind CA Center for Climate Change Education (The Center) which is dedicated to preparing students to work in blue and green jobs, and to train students to bring a climate justice sensitivity to any industry in which they work.” Under Limbaugh’s leadership, West has the goal of being the green epicenter for environmental education and innovation in the California

Community College system. “Climate change is truly the most significant issue facing all of humanity, and if we fail to actively confront it, all the other skills and preparation we provide in colleges become irrelevant,” said Limbaugh.   

“In addition to all of the positive environmental contributions a system of microforests can bring to urban spaces, the campus and our neighbors can witness the growth of a forest – plants growing, birds, life in the trees…,” said Dr. Jo Travares-Reager, Director of The Center.  “There are even studies that show spending time in environments like this is good for our mental and physical health.”

How the forest was made possible

The Los Angeles Community College District’s (�þ���Ƶ) Facilities, Planning, and Development Department assisted WLAC with this new campus sustainability initiative, including removal of non-functional turf and upgrading the irrigation system to improve water efficiency. By leveraging turf rebates offered through the West Basin Municipal Water District, the college partnered with (NET), , and (NNI) to design and cultivate the microforest with locally grown plants. NNI will provide ongoing educational opportunities and maintenance of the site.

“This initiative is a testament to the power of community partnerships and forward-thinking environmental practices. The project’s success would not be possible without the outstanding efforts of the WLAC Facilities team and the unwavering support of our dedicated greening partners. Together, we are creating a greener, more sustainable future for the college and the surrounding community,” said Lisa Williams, �þ���Ƶ Sustainability & Utility Program Manager.

�þ���Ƶ West

West Los Angeles College is an ACCJC-accredited California Community College that offers career certificates and associate degrees as well as paths to transfer to competitive universities as a Junior. West also offers Bachelor’s degrees in Dental Hygiene and Avionics. Students can enroll full-time or part-time, in-person or in the college’s award-winning online program. Recently, West was awarded the prestigious Aspen Prize for being one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation. For more information, visit WLAC.edu. 

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