What Is a pocket forest?

A pocket forest is a small, planting designed to boost the livability of urban and suburban neighborhoods. These forest patches are diverse, densely planted and include features designed to mimic typical forest characteristics.

These compact clusters of well adapted native species of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous

plants are very densely and randomly planted, mixing as many native trees and vegetation as possible. Together these mimic the layers of a healthy young forest and create a functional micro-system that can resist invasion by undesirable species and weather other environmental disturbances.

why pocket forests?

By introducing a high diversity of native species and habitat features, pocket forests:

provide food and shelter for local wildlife
sequester and store carbon
capture stormwater
filter air pollution
help cool local surroundings
Increased habitat and biodiversity

Pocket forests are an increasingly popular approach for integrating our lives with the natural environment.

The Sandy Pond School pocket forest is one of several being installed by the Ayer-Devens Pocket Forest Project team using funding from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant program, For more information, visit https://climateresilient.wixsite.com/ayerdevens