By Christian Carapucci
Amid the hustle and bustle of everyday Malden citizens getting to work, school, or going out on the town, and the naturally ingrained on-the-go mindset of city living, it’s nice to stop, breathe, and commune with nature. And where better to do that than in the newly created “pocket forest” on Goodwin Avenue?
A pocket forest is a small densely planted area of native trees and shrubs. Malden’s first pocket forest was created with the planting of 21 trees on a vacant lot on Goodwin Avenue in the Forestdale section of the city in October.
This is the first one in the state paid for by a new Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) grant from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The idea originated on January 5, 2024, when Malden resident Ashley Kolodziej reached out to newly appointed City Council member of three days, Ari Taylor, saying she would like to see a community garden on a small piece of city-owned land that abuts her property.
However, some neighbors were worried about the upkeep.
“They were worried about the possibility of it attracting animals along with who would have to upkeep the garden,” said Taylor. She added that then the idea for a pollinator garden was proposed and although residents were more open to that idea, “the community was still nervous so we had to ask ourselves do we really want this?”
Malden’s Tree Warden Chris Rosa suggested a new plan that took into account these concerns, while simultaneously not losing the heart of the project. He suggested a pocket forest.
Soon after construction began. It took 10 months of planning and 3 months to execute with the help of Garrick-Santo Landscaping Company on Eastern Avenue.
Earlier in July as part of the Greening the Gateway Cities Program, the Healey-Driscoll administration awarded $150,000 to the City of Malden to prepare 80 new tree planting locations, install permeable pavement around urban tree pits to facilitate water absorption and plant the aforementioned pocket forest.
Courtesy of the state grant awarded to the tree warden, it cost the city nothing.
Malden’s Senior Planner and Policy Manager Ahrehon Thompson praised the project for its health benefits.
“I can generally say that I am extremely interested in recouping the environmental benefits of having more green space and permeable surfaces,” Thompson said. “Indoor, outdoor, active, and passive recreation provide these opportunities that consequently come with a slew of public health benefits.”
Climate activism is at the crux of this pocket forest which uses permeable pavement that can stop flooding by redirecting water toward the trees, Taylor explained.
According to Taylor, the pocket forest was a communal idea and a community-driven project that brought Malden residents together.
“It did more than just bring some beauty back to the neighborhood, it brought people together and got them talking and brought back a lot of trust between neighbors,” Taylor said.
Christian Carapucci is a journalism student at Emerson College. His work appears as part of a collaborative partnership between the “Community News Reporting” class taught by Mark Micheli at Emerson College and the Neighborhood View editorial staff.
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Residents of Malden: Put a Forest in your Pocket! It doesn’t take a lot of space for a gathering place in the shade. As Jane Austen wrote, ” To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.”