EcoAction Club hosts film screening of “Making a Mini-Forest” for Earth Week
Earth Week at Santa Monica College began with a film screening of “Making a Mini-Forest,” hosted by SMC’s EcoAction Club in collaboration with the Santa Monica Mountain Fund’s Field Institute and California Climate Action Corps fellows. The event aimed to educate urban communities on how microforests work and how to get involved in increasing the biodiversity of any space.
Held on April 9, the screening took place at the main campus’ Stromberg Lecture Hall and featured eco-friendly activities prior to the screening, followed by a Q&A session with ecologist Dan S. Cooper and filmmaker Angelina Lee.
The documentary-style film highlighted different people working on planting mini forests throughout Europe to make a stand against climate change and provide wildlife. Aubrey Pevsner, a CCAC Urban Greening Fellow, says the method was developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, which involves planting diverse trees closely together without fertilizers to restore degraded land and sustain itself over time.
“A microforest is a small pocket of habitat that brings wildlife back to an urban area,” she said.
Deanna Armbruster, Executive Director of SAMO Fund, got the evening started after outdoor activities wrapped up with a brief introduction sharing background on the organization and its purpose: "Our goal is to bring environmental stewardship into the community, and to introduce to people who already love wildlife, and those of us who are trying to figure out how to get off our screens and get out,” she said.
“The heartbeat of our program is restoration."
Armbruster explained the restoration process, which involves removing invasive plants that fuel fires and replanting native species.
The discussion then shifted to organizer Pevsner, who spoke about her experience working to boost biodiversity across several sites, including recent efforts at SMC's main campus.
"Tonight is a celebration of the replanting of the microforest. We installed 90 new native plants with students on Tuesday who got to learn about what this project is about," she said. The microforest is one of several urban greening projects stewarded with the SAMO Fund.
“Plants are the foundations of our ecosystem,” Pevsner said. Her closing remarks added a final charge.
“My hope is that you leave tonight seeing how even small projects can have a big impact,” she said.
Narrated by Hannah Lewis, author of “Mini-Forest Revolution,” the film showcased people involved in planting mini forests: students, volunteers and environmental organizers, capturing their personal motivations and collaboration. Featuring French-language interviews with English subtitles, the documentary highlights community-driven green initiatives through real-time footage. The environmental cinematography was complemented by orchestral-style background music, building on the momentous effort.
The crowd applauded the film as the lights came on and acknowledged Lee, seated in the front row.
Cooper and Lee concluded the event with a discussion offering additional commentary and clarity on the information presented in the film. When asked about how the film came to be and how the story took shape, Lee revealed something larger.
"These projects take a long time,” she said. “They are making one big metaphorical mini forest together."
For those still interested in seeing this film, a free screening will be held on May 9, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the REI Burbank store.