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Busan City Collaborates with Pusan National University to Create a "Small Forest" at Busan Healing Forest

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The Busan Metropolitan City Government (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it is collaborating with Pusan National University to establish the city's first "small forest" at Busan Healing Forest in Gijang-gun by May.

• ●From April 14 to May 3, Busan City and Pusan National University are working together to create the small forest at Busan Healing Forest (Lot 117, Cheolma-myeon, Gijang-gun, within the university's First Academic Forest).

What is a Small Forest?

• ●A small forest is a high-density native plant forest of about 100 to 300 square meters, based on an ecological restoration technique developed by Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki.

• ●It provides 10 times faster growth and 30 times greater biodiversity than conventional forests.

• ●After an initial three-year maintenance period, the forest can sustain its own ecological cycle.

• ●Small forests offer multiple ecosystem services, including urban biodiversity, carbon absorption, urban heat island mitigation, habitat provision, and air purification.

The small forest being created at Busan Healing Forest will cover 100 square meters and will feature 30 densely planted native trees of 7 species, including sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima).

• ●It will also be used as an experiential learning space linked to forest education programs.

• ●Additionally, a practical training garden for educational and academic purposes will be established, serving as a foundation for future workforce development in the gardening industry and regional cooperation.

Meanwhile, Busan City is expanding the small forest initiative as part of its carbon neutrality efforts involving citizens.

• ●A small forest will also be created this fall at Busan Citizens Park, with plans to gradually expand to green spaces such as the Haeundae Arboretum and buffer green zones.

• ●The project will be pursued through cooperation among the public sector (City of Busan), academia (Pusan National University), and the private sector (citizens and environmental groups), from creation to post-maintenance.

An Cheol-soo, Director-General of Busan’s Green City Bureau, stated,
"We hope Busan’s small forest model will spread to other local governments nationwide as an example of ecological restoration.
Through our Small Forest Project, we will accelerate the realization of a sustainable ecological city in Busan."