Opportunity to plant a real forest on your school campus this year! Apply Now.
Want to offer a unique outdoor learning experience to your students and be part of helping Hong Kong fight climate change?
This year, Nature Makers Lab is able to offer one lucky school a FREE Miyawaki Forest on their campus and create a biodiversity hotspot right in the middle of Hong Kong!
What’s a Miyawaki forest?
Miyawaki is a forest planting method that plants native tree species extremely densely together to mimic the natural way that a forest grows.
A Miyawaki forest is more resilient than trees planted alone, absorbs more carbon, cleans the air and can helps to cool down our city. Plus, the more diversity we plant, the more food and habitat we create for the hundreds of birds, bees and other animals that call Hong Kong home.
For your students, spending time in nature not only reduces stress and improves attention span; it also lowers the risk of developing mental health issues as adults. Not to mention that Hong Kong has a wide range of edible, medicinal and other fascinating species to learn about.
How will it work at your school?
In other words…
1. If your school is selected, our first step is to assess the site and together design the shape and any paths or spaces we’d like in the forest. The forest can be any shape, but a minimum size of 80m2 is recommended.
2. Nature Makers Lab will then require roughly 1 week to prepare the soil with the help of heavy machinery.
3. The forest is then ready for planting!
4. Planting generally takes 2-3 days and is a fun event for students to be a part of. Together, we will plant as many as 300-500 local tree saplings depending on the size of the site.
5. After that, Nature Makers Lab will conduct maintenance workshops with a smaller cohort who will learn how to take care of the forest during its first couple of years.
6. Maintenance of the forest is minimal. Your school will be responsible for watering, and if possible, occasional weeding and mulching.
7. Nature Makers Lab will conduct monthly checks over the first year to ensure the forest is doing well.
8. As the forest grows, the school can continue to use the site as a space for outdoor learning so that students can spend more time in nature and learn about the many species that form part of the forest.
Who can apply?
This offer is open to primary (Year 5 and above), secondary or tertiary schools based in Hong Kong that:
Have between 80-200m2 available space on ground level for planting the forest
Are registered as a Tax-Exempt Charity (under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance)
Priority will be given to:
Local schools
Schools located closer to the city, e.g. in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island
Schools with demonstrated commitment to environmental education or outdoor learning
Schools with preferred physical site conditions:
more than 8 hours of sunlight per day
soil excavation potential up to 1m depth
accessible to excavation machinery
The awarded candidate will be required to:
Provide basic maintenance and care for the forest, e.g. watering, weeding
Take care of any permit requirements deemed necessary by their School board or council
To apply:
Please fill in an application form here.
Shortlisted candidates may be contacted for further information.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at hello@naturemakerslab.com
Deadline: Monday, 14th February 2022
Note: All expenses to set up the forest (tree saplings, transport, labour, basic maintenance workshops) will be covered by Nature Makers Lab. The chosen school will not receive or manage any funds unless they wish to engage in extra activities provided by Nature Makers Lab after the forest planting.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is NOW.”