Manhattan Healing Forest
Planting for Resilience.
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Trees
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Native Species
Nestled along the southern banks of Roosevelt Island, the Manhattan Healing Forest stands as a beacon of hope, offering a haven of tranquility for the almost 12,000 residents amidst the bustling cityscape.
The strong currents of the New York Estuary, aka East River, lap at our shorelines, an ever present reminder of the island’s beauty and vulnerability. As storm surges threaten Roosevelt Island, and flood models paint a concerning picture, Manhattan Healing Forest emerges as a symbol of hope and adaptation. This SUGi Pocket Forest is strategically positioned to stabilize the land and capture water, serving as a living barrier against flooding and erosion, preventing pollutant runoff and enhancing air quality.
With its diverse array of flora and fauna, Manhattan Healing Forest serves as a miniature lung for Manhattan, providing habitat for migratory birds, butterflies, and a variety of urban wildlife. From the bustling activity of squirrels to the majestic presence of peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks, the forest teems with life and vitality. The forest is a haven for humans and wildlife alike.
Restoring hope we embrace new methods to heal the land in ways good for the health of our neighbors, our neighborhood and the living beings that dwell among us.
Forest Maker
Ethan Bryson
"Tekenink atàm" (Let us go to the forest)
— Lenape Forest Name
Planting: April 2024
Forest Design
This SUGi Pocket Forest is strategically positioned to stabilize the land and capture water, serving as a living barrier against flooding and erosion, preventing pollutant runoff and enhancing air quality.
"When I first visited Manhattan and walked around its busy concrete sidewalks, my neck would ache from looking up at the glass and steel forest of towering buildings. Now I look to the ground, searching for bare soil or native plants that have been here long before the buildings. The creativity and buzz of life in one of the world's greatest cities can once again burgeon with nutrient-rich diverse life in the soil and a more balanced ecosystem in partnership with Nature. The Lenape, whose territory is Lenapehoking, say this place is a good home. Welikia. Creating an urban environment in balance with nature can make it even better. This is our intention with the Manhattan Healing Forest."
— Ethan Bryson, SUGi Forest Maker
Native 'New Yorker' Species Selection
“Creating this pocket forest is an invitation to understand how rebuilding soil health positively affects the health of all surrounding life. Using this tight-knit planting Miyawaki Method to strengthen root connections which in turn boosts tree growth exponentially mirrors how diverse communities can come close together now and do this. After all, New Yorkers understand crowded small spaces and if we can plant it here it can plant it anywhere.”
Christina Delfico, founder iDig2Learn.
We’re thrilled to collaborate on this project with:
"Lenape Center has been actively continuing Lenapehoking. The establishment of this pocket forest exemplifies the transformative and regenerative power that arises from collaboration."
— Lenape Center
