In September 2024 SBP gave a grant to Sabrina Tse (Project Director) and her teacher Seth Brady (Project Manager) of Naperville Central High School / Naperville Community Unit School District 203. Under their leadership students planned to construct a 625 square foot tiny forest in accordance with the Miyawaki method of afforestation. The resulting “NCHS Tiny Forest” and an accompanying outdoor education space aimed to serve as a site for ongoing scientific observation for students and as a model of suburban and urban biodiversity preservation for Naperville and communities across the Chicago metropolitan area. The project gained attention locally and was highlighted in the newspapers-
https://lnkd.in/gmcCQNnq
https://lnkd.in/ggGRqRp6
The tiny forest is composed of 37 different species of native trees planted in an intricately-planned plot arranged by height, designed so that once fully grown, its canopy has inherent layers, Tse said. “We want to keep track of all the scientific aspects to it so we’ll put in temperature sensors to see how it impacts temperature,” Tse said. “We’ll check check soil stability, soil quality, the height of the trees.” (Source: Chicago Tribune)
A year and a half later, the tiny forest is lush and thriving, and is a visible, educational experience not only for students but for all people who walk by that space. These are the types of projects Society for Biodiversity Preservation (SBP) is interested in funding!
(This article was originally published on LinkedIn on July 5, 2026)