First Worcester Miyawaki Forest Planting Will Green Barren Library Parking Lot

WORCESTER, MA — A new initiative in Worcester to reduce urban heat will move forward Saturday with volunteers breaking ground on a Miyawaki Forest in the parking lot behind the main Worcester Public Library downtown.

The Miyawaki Forest in the McGrath lot will cover about 6,400 square-feet of the paved parking area, which is presently almost completely exposed to the sun.

"Miyawaki Forests are small, dense, layered urban plantings that grow vigorously and help to cool 'heat islands,' improve air quality and biodiversity, and foster climate resilience," the city described in a recent news release.

The city is planning a second Miyawaki Forest at Plumley Village, which also has large areas exposed to the sun.

Like many urban areas, Worcester has large areas in the urban core that, due to having lots of pavement and fewer trees, are hotter during the summer than neighborhoods dominated by single-family homes. Areas in central Worcester can be up to 14 degrees hotter in the evening than neighborhoods on the perimeter of the city, according to 2019 measurements of the city's heat islands.

Reducing urban heat islands is one of the priorities in the city's Green Worcester Plan. The Miyawaki Forests, funded by a state grant, are one of several initiatives in the works to reduce heat islands. The city is also working to create a "green street" in the Green Island Neighborhood near Endicott and Bigelow streets. That project, set to begin in the fall, would add vegetation to the exposed streetscape along with traffic safety improvements. The city is also planning to start an incentive program to create green or cool roofs on buildings.

Anyone interested in helping with the Miyawaki Forests can join any of the four upcoming planting sessions. RSVP here.

McGrath parking lot

• Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• May 11, 1 to 3 p.m., 3 to 4:30 p.m. (coincides with the Green Worcester Summit: Building Resilience, Together)

Plumley Village

• May 1, 4 to 6 p.m.
• May 18, 10 a.m. to noon