SWAMPSCOTT — Conservancy volunteers have finished planting almost 600 seedlings that will grow into a microforest at the intersection of Walker and Paradise Roads, at the northern edge of the Olmsted Historic District.
“It is wonderful to see folks rolling up their sleeves and contributing to these types of investments,” said Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald.
He said the microforest will provide a sense of place to the intersection and serve as a reminder to Frederick Olmsted’s contribution to the green spaces in the town.
The project was initiated by Suzanne Hale, a Swampscott Conservancy member, who was inspired by an urban microforest at Danehy Park in North Cambridge.
“I thought it would be a great idea in our town, we would just need to identify the right space for that,” said Hale, who calls herself a career volunteer.
The Swampscott Tree Committee helped Hale identify the space that could be suitable for a microforest – a town-owned plot of land at the intersection of Walker and Paradise Roads. Symbolically, the plot sits at the northern entrance into the Olmsted Historic District, marked with a respective sign.
Hale put a request to the town to use the land through the Adopt-an-Island Program.
“I’d like to put a forest there,” Hale told the town.
The town agreed to fund the purchase of plant material.
“That island hasn’t been maintained in years,” said Gino Cresta, director of the Department of Public Works, adding that the town was paying for a contractor to cut grass on that piece of land.
Hale did a lot of research on native species that would work for the Swampscott habitat and grow well on rocky dry soil.
The concept of a microforest is characterized by dense planting, biodiversity, native species, and multilayered design to recreate the complexity of a native forest. Microforests mimic the regrowth of a forest after a fire, for example, Hale said, when plants almost help each other grow faster and denser.
Among some of the plants she has selected for the Swampscott microforest are Chinkapin Oak, American Hazelnut, Red Mulberry, Dogwood, and Wild Black Cherry.
“By the third year we should see some real height difference,” said Hale.
Hale was also thoughtful about buying the seedlings at a reasonable price. She ended up buying close to 600 plants from the New Hampshire State Forest Nursery and Massachusetts Tree Wardens’ and Foresters’ Association’s seedling program for under $700.
About 15 volunteers from the town helped Hale plant all the seedlings in less than a week. The DPW used their machinery to turn over the soil and promised to water the microforest.
“We do expect some die-offs,” Hale said. “But after the first year it should not need additional work.”
Hale is planning to put a pollinator garden at the front of the microforest as well.
“The species that we planted should provide intense biodiversity to this specific area,” said Hale.
Some plants will host caterpillars that will turn into butterflies or moths. Others, like Beach Plum, Black Chokeberry, or Hazelnuts, can provide food for birds and small mammals.
The town will benefit from having a microforest in numerous ways, Hale said. First of all, it will sequester carbon.
“While getting to a net zero at the town around emissions is very important, the flipside of that is making sure that we are also sequestering carbon,” she said.
Besides air purification, tree roots provide better stormwater management than grass. Native plants have much more dynamic root systems, which process a lot more water.
The microforest will also provide some privacy to the neighbors on Walker Road.
“It is a great idea,” said Cresta. “We need more trees.”
The Tree Committee and the DPW are planting 40 trees across the town this spring as well, Cresta said.
Alena Kuzub can be reached at [email protected].
