Tucked into the heart of Warren, a young forest is taking root, soon to make a big impact.

The Warren Micro Forest is more than a planting project—it’s a living, growing community. Designed to restore native habitat in a compact space, this young forest brings together trees, shrubs, soil, water, and people in a shared effort to heal and reconnect. Each layer, from the canopy above to the roots below, plays a role in creating a resilient ecosystem that will continue to evolve for years to come.

It all began as a dream of a young girl who had read the Lorax. 16-year-old Nethanya Fonseka began to look around and realized Warren, MI (her birthplace) had the lowest tree canopy percentage in Michigan. Her dream was to plant more trees and increase biodiversity, making more space for wildlife, so that her hometown could reap the benefits of trees in an urban setting.

In spring of 2025 a 13,000 square foot traffic circle began the transformation to the Warren Micro Forest. Bare-root saplings were ordered and planted in a temporary holding space until fall when they were finally installed with the rest of the plant material at the final site.

Inspired by the Miyawaki Method, the site was planted with 400 tree, 700 shrubs, and 6000 grasses & forbs (flowers). Instead of the recommended excavation this team chose to use the smother method, covering the site with cardboard boxes, layering it with mulch, letting it sit for 5 months and then planting.

A big thanks to Mayor Lori M. Stone and her team, Olu Jabari and Rhonda Hawe, who made it clear that they were ready to support through the final planting days and beyond. 

Gerard Santoro, Amanda Oparka and Luke Hefferan from the Green Macomb Initiative within Macomb County Planning and Economic Development secured a $30,000 grant from Consumer’s Energy and US Forest Services to fund the whole dream. Anthony Casasanta of Warren Parks & Rec provided gravel from old bocce ball courts for the heeling in of the bare root trees.

Scott Raedell from Warren DPW and his team was instrumental in providing labor for the forest; site prep, installing the first bare-root stock, and transplanting it five months later to the micro forest site. After the installation, a drought of three weeks necessitated diligent watering by water truck as there is no water on site. 

Volunteers were an integral part, as they were enthusiastic to be part of the entire process and watch the forest come to life. They showed up on installation days for both the bare-root and the transplanting to the final site, and were extremely helpful in prepping the locals on what would be happening in the traffic circle. Now in maintenance mode, we still rely heavily on volunteers, want to learn more, we would love to have you join one of our volunteer sessions.

Species List

Trees

Shrubs

Grass / Sedges

Forbs

Spring Bulbs & Seeding

Volunteer Opportunities