Iowa
A climate change book club needed hope. So, it decided to plant Iowa’s first mini-forest.
A book club that reads about sustainability, climate change and environmental justice got tired of feeling helpless and decided to organize the planting of Iowa’s first claimed “mini-forest” with the help of the city of West Des Moines and a Waukee elementary school.
“It can get pretty depressing and you feel like you can’t address issues,” reading about the topics the club does,” said Diane Ford, a Des Moines member of the book club. “We often feel overwhelmed by moving forward.”
But after reading Hannah Lewis’ book, “Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World,” and seeing the author speak at Iowa State University, the club moved forward by quite literally digging in and organizing the planting of a mini-forest at Brookview Park in West Des Moines, near Brookview Elementary School.
A mini-forest should reach maturity in about 15 years, compared to a century or more with a larger forest, Ford said.
That means the community will get the benefits to air, water, soil and education much faster from the stand of 1,200 plantings of Iowa native species in an area about the size of a tennis court, or one-tenth of an acre.
More: For Earth Day 2024, experts are spreading optimism – not doom. Here’s why.
The mini-forest’s started on Friday and was celebrated on site by city and school officials and community members, including Brookview elementary students who helped plant throughout the day.
“This felt like something we could do,” book club member and volunteer Walter Pearson said.
Pearson said the city paid for the seedlings, donated the park land and had staff donate their time, including to auger the holes for the trees and shrubs. Other supporters included the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, the Waukee school district’s Aspiring Professional Experience high school program, Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting and more than a dozen private individuals.
What trees are in the mini-forest?
West Des Moines City Forester Paul Tauke said the trees in the mini-forest include varieties of oak, pecan, sycamore, hazelnut, birch, elderberry, ninebark, paw paw, maple and black cherry.
The city will water the stand as needed, and volunteers will weed it as needed, Tauke said.
More: New plans for West Des Moines arboretum include 300 trees, museum with crafts, playground
Part of the stand will be fenced in, while a portion will not. Tauke said that’s an experiment to see how necessary it is to have protection from deer and rabbits in order for the mini-forest to be successful.
That matters because he said he hopes the project will inspire private property owners and other schools to do their own planting.
Ann Y. Robinson, a Des Moines member of the book club, said there’s been interest in Ames and Urbandale for mini-forests. Michael Andreski, a member of the West Des Moines Community School District’s Board of Education in attendance at Friday’s event, said his district also is thinking about creating a mini-forest but has not yet picked a location.
What is a mini-forest?
The “Miyawaki Method” of densely planting a small area with native species was developed in the 1970s by the late Japanese botanist and plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki.
The New York Times reported in August 2023 that Miyawaki’s legacy is “transforming dusty highway shoulders, parking lots, schoolyards and junkyards worldwide. Tiny forests have been planted across Europe, in Africa, throughout Asia and in South America, Russia and the Middle East. India has hundreds, and Japan, where it all began, has thousands.”
According to the Times, Miyawaki got the idea from observing how clusters of indigenous trees around Japan’s temples and shrines were healthier than those in plantations or forests grown after logging.
Tauke said the secret to a mini-forest’s quick growth is the competition between the closely planted trees — they can only grow up to find sunlight, not out.
“Whatever grows best will take over the forest,” he said.
People interested in financially supporting or volunteering to take care of the mini-forest in West Des Moines can visit the city’s website at wdm.iowa.gov and search for “Brookview Park,” according to a news release from the city.
Phillip Sitter covers the western suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @pslifeisabeauty.
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-5-8
Evening: 9-9-2
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-3
Evening: 0-7-0-6
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
Scoop: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek snagged a major endorsement for his Senate bid from former Sen. Tom Harkin.
Harkin, who retired in 2015, was the last Democrat to represent Iowa in the Senate. Turek is locked in a competitive primary with state Sen. Zach Wahls in a race that has divided major factions of the Democratic Party.
“I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you,” Harkin said in his endorsement. “That’s why I’m supporting Josh Turek.”
Harkin served in the Senate for 30 years and is the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Turek, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was 11 when the ADA was enacted.
Harkin is a widely sought after endorsement in the Hawkeye State. His decision to wade into the race is notable because Harkin also has a relationship with Wahls.
Wahls called Harkin “one of my closest political mentors,” and said the former senator officiated his wedding in 2021.
Iowa’s Senate primaries are June 2.
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