Iowa’s First Mini-forest
About Iowa's First Mini-Forest
The Brookview Mini-Forest would not be possible without the help of our partners:
- The City of West Des Moines donated the land, selected and purchased seedlings, prepared the soil, helped with planting, and continues to water our little trees and shrubs.
- Students in the Waukee APEX program raised funds, recruited volunteers, and helped to erect the fence. Other APEX teams designed, built, and installed a permanent sign so that people enjoying the park and the nearby nature trail can appreciate the mini-forest. They also created this website.
- Brookview Elementary students worked alongside our volunteers to plant the seedlings in our mini-forest. Brookview Elementary will continue to use the mini-forest to teach kids about the environment.
Creating the Brookview Mini-Forest
The work at Brookview Park began with preparing the site. The soil was tilled, and holes were dug. We marked out a grid for planting and sent soil samples to Iowa State University for testing. Temporary signs were designed by Waukee APEX students and installed to identify the project.
May 3, 2024, was Planting Day! With the help of community volunteers, West Des Moines Forestry and Parks and Recreation staff, Waukee APEX students, and approximately 600 Brookview Elementary School students and staff, we planted hundreds of seedlings and added mulch. We erected an 8-foot fence around the perimeter of the site to protect the little trees as they grew. A camera was installed to monitor their progress.
Although the planting is done, our work is far from over. For the next few years, we will continue to periodically weed, mulch, and water the trees as they grow. If you’re interested in helping maintain the Brookview Mini-Forest, click below to learn how you can help.
Plant species in the Brookview Mini-Forest
Trees
- American Basswood
- Black Cherry
- Boxelder
- Black Oak
- Bottomland Bur Oak
- Bur Oak
- Common Hackberry
- Kentucky Coffee Tree
- Northern Pecan
- Red Oak
- River Birch
- Shagbark Hickory
- Shellbark Hickory
- Sugar Maple
- Swamp White Oak
- Sycamore
- Tulip Tree
Shrubs
- American Hazelnut
- Arioniaberry
- Black Elderberry
- Buttonbark
- Gray Dogwood
- Ninebark
- Redosier Dogwood
- Wild Plum
Small Trees
- Pawpaw
- Redbud
Des Moines Register
“A climate change book club needed hope. So, it decided to plant Iowa’s first mini-forest.”
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