Our environmental sustainability book group read Hannah Lewis’ book, Mini-Forest Revolution, about a process developed by a Japanese botanist. We did further research and talked with people who have worked on existing mini-forest sites. We consulted with Iowa experts, looked for partners, recruited volunteers, and raised money. We were able to locate a permanently protected site at Brookview Park in West Des Moines, adjacent to Brookview Elementary School, and began creating Iowa’s first mini-forest.