Students on the New South Wales Far South Coast are turning a barren patch of their school grounds into a self-sustaining microforest to improve shade and local biodiversity. Year 4 students at St Peter’s Anglican College in Broulee spent a week planting roughly 1,000 native trees, shrubs, and climbing plants as part of their school curriculum.
Bringing Back Endangered Species
Working alongside the not-for-profit Microforest Collective, the students targeted species native to the region’s endangered coastal littoral rainforest. According to student Zale Neal, the initiative aims to help restore native flora and fauna lost during the 2020 bushfires.
The project integrates multiple subjects including science, maths, geography, and literacy. Year 4 teacher Danielle Phillips explained that students conducted local rainforest visits, performed site analyses, and calculated material volumes for mulching before starting the physical fieldwork.
Accelerated Growth Using Japanese Technique
The initiative applies the Miyawaki method, a Japanese planting technique involving dense clusters of mixed local species designed to accelerate growth. Microforest Collective co-founder and landscape architect Edwina Robinson noted that the approach can help plants grow up to ten times faster than normal, with the site expected to reach heights of about 7 metres within two to three years.
To overcome sandy soil conditions at the site, the project incorporates a specialized water-harvesting system featuring 40 metres of underground clay-lined trenches designed to capture rainwater.
The Microforest Collective has developed ready-to-go design templates and educational programs from the collaboration. Organizers intend to use the Broulee installation as a model for other schools across Australia to replicate similar climate-resilient green spaces.
