More than 4,000 trees from 26 native species were planted on a sloped plot of land on the northeast side of Hillcrest Residence Hall from April 25 to 29.

The planting was a collaborative effort between the University of Iowa and the LENA Project, a local nonprofit organization advocating for sustainability and empowering people to make a positive environmental change.

Andrew Dahl, the UI urban forestry supervisor and campus arborist, said the community involvement during the first three planting days was fantastic.

“I could not believe the volunteer support — it was overwhelming, really. It had exceeded my wildest dreams,” he said.

He estimated that at least a combined 600 volunteers had shown up on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to plant.

Alyssa Hatch, a fourth-year UI student and sustainability major, was among the volunteers. She said the event attracted a diverse mix of people, but that the planting allowed the community to connect and grow closer together.

“When the community gets together and does something on campus, it creates almost a bond to the project and the area, as well as each other as you work along together,” she said.

The final two days of planting, Monday and Tuesday, saw fewer participants. Dahl said this was due to students having class but also to adverse weather in the Iowa City area.

Dahl said Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki originally developed Miyawaki forests, and it is when native trees are planted at very high densities — a foot to 16 inches apart — to increase competition with one another and speed up the growth process.

“It’s a way to quickly establish a forest, and [trees] will mature faster than ones planted by nature or other more conventional methods,” he said.

He elaborated on the differences between trees growing while in competition with other trees and trees that grow without competition.

“If you plant a tree in your front yard, they tend to get wider, and they’re usually shorter. [If] you think about that typical maple or oak tree that your tire swing is on, it is kind of a board tree,” Dahl said. “Well, if you ever walk in a forest, you notice the trees are quite a bit taller and skinnier. That’s because of competition. They all kind of race for the light.”

Dahl also mentioned that using native trees in the planting would attract other native species  — including insects, birds, and fungi — that create a micro ecosystem within the forest.

The only other official Miyawaki forest in the state is located in West Des Moines and is smaller than the new forest on campus.

Tricia Windschitl, cofounder and director of the LENA Project, said the project allows people to get involved and spend time supporting nature with other members of the community, a necessity to remain optimistic about the future of our planet.

“An initiative like this not only helps Mother Earth — because it truly does, and that’s so important right now, more important now than ever — we need to take care of our home,” she said. “But by going out and doing this in the community, we are with others. We have our hands in the dirt. We’re talking to other people while we have our hands in the dirt.”

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The LENA Project is an Iowa City nonprofit started by Windschitl after she was inspired by her students at Preucil Preschool, who were passionate about various sustainability projects they had been a part of. Windschitl said she realized the students were going off to preschool and someone needed to carry their voice and work toward a cleaner environment.

Lena is the name of the preschooler who drew the turtle, which eventually became the mascot for the nonprofit, which in turn became an acronym for the organization. L stands for lessen, E for empower, N for notice, and A for act.

Windschitl expressed her gratitude to everyone at the UI Office of Sustainability for their work in getting the Miyawaki forest project completed.

“It’s just been so amazing to be able to work with all of them and the support that they have given us, but also just the collaboration,” she said. “It’s just been a true collaboration, and it’s just been wonderful.”

Dahl exclaimed similar appreciation for everyone involved in the event, extending thanks to volunteers and the Office of Sustainability.

UI students and interns for the Office of Sustainability, Emma Skelley and Nicole Ramker, worked at the community celebration held on May 2, an event commemorating the completion of the project.

Skelley said the project will open the door for additional sustainability initiatives on campus.

“It’s a really neat opportunity to get more projects like this started on campus — I’m only a second-year, but this is one of the first times I’ve heard of something like this on campus,” she said.

They both reflected positively on the planting experience.

“It’s just like a happy, beautiful thing to see everyone come together and do this,” Ramker said.

The community celebration also featured Song*Lines Project, a singing circle held by Grant Wood Fellow and UI educator Lyndsey Scott.