Why are scientists planting tiny forests in big cities?

Why are scientists planting tiny forests in big cities?

From Short Wave by NPR

June 2, 2026 · 12 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the concept of micro-forests in urban areas and features a visit to the largest micro-forest in California.

Healthy forests help combat climate change, provide humans with drinking water and even improve mental and physical health. But it’s hard to imagine an entire forest in the middle of a big city. That’s where micro-forests come into play — public forests on a smaller scale, filled with native plants. They exist around the world, and producer Rachel Carlson went to visit the largest micro-forest in California in this encore episode. She joins host Emily Kwong to chat about what she saw. Interested in more of the science behind urban nature? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org . Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Emily Kwong

Guest: Rachel Carlson

Topics covered

  • micro-forests
  • urban nature
  • climate change
  • public health
  • native plants

Keywords

  • micro-forests
  • urban forests
  • climate change
  • native plants
  • California

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Places: California

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