It was a video made by the World Economic Forum about the Miyawaki method – a methodology developed by Japanese botanist Professor Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s.  

The method uses densely planted native vegetation to create rapidly growing forests. These forests can reach maturity quickly, providing the benefits of a forest in a relatively short space of time.

Upon watching the video, Dr Coupland began to wonder how the method could be applied in Australia to bring biodiversity back into cities through this style of planting. 

This was the catalyst which led to the creation of Dr Coupland’s Miyawaki Forest Program, which has been awarded the 2026 Premier’s Science Award for Science Engagement Initiative of the Year. 

From little things, big things grow 

In 2021, Dr Coupland arrived at South Padbury Primary School with a vision of converting an unused grass area into a lush pocket forest full of Australian native plants and shrubbery.  

She, alongside a team of student citizen scientists, donning gardening gloves and sunhats, planted WA’s first pocket forest. 

Since then, the Miyawaki Forest Program has planted 26 fast-growing forests across WA schools and communities and brought together more than 5,000 passionate citizen scientists.  

What started as a simple hypothesis of ‘could this be replicated here?’ led to the development of an award-winning, UNESCO 'Green Citizens' recognised initiative that has provided thousands of students the opportunity to take tangible environmental action. 

Through the Miyawaki Forest Program, Dr Coupland has proven citizen scientists can change the world, one pocket forest at a time.  

Dr Coupland said what she loved most about working with Miyawaki pocket forests was their capacity to engage with people's hearts.

"People love their forests. These small pockets of wilderness give people hope and the capacity for tangible environmental action that they can really see make a difference to their local areas and to their wellbeing," she said.

"I feel very privileged to bring these pockets of amazingness into schools and communities. Seeing small areas of our endangered Banksia woodlands growing and developing brings hope."

Dr Coupland said the children she worked with throughout the Miyawaki Forest Program were a testament to the power of giving young citizen scientists space and encouragement to get involved.

"Children are the eco-warriors and scientists of the future. Their enthusiasm, intelligence and commitment are exactly what our world needs. This award is for each and every one of them."

She said she hoped this recognition would help to grow the Miyawaki Forest Program further, and strengthen the case for scaling pocket forests across more schools and communities, embedding long-term citizen science into outdoor learning, and continuing to demonstrate how small urban forests can contribute to biodiversity restoration, cooling, nature connection and wellbeing, and climate resilience.

"The dream is for every school in Australia to have some form of pocket forest to use as an outdoor classroom and a place where students can simply enjoy and connect with nature," Dr Coupland said.

"This award celebrates all the amazing people who have been and will become part of this program; the students, teachers, schools, community members, volunteers and funding partners (SUGi, Plico Energy and previously Carbon Positive Australia) who have made the Miyawaki Forest Program possible.

"I also sincerely want to thank the amazing Team Forest - particularly my right-hand woman Ainsley Andrew - we have been together since forest number one - and our fabulous PhD candidate Ines Zevallos, who is investigating the impact of the program on children’s wellbeing and nature connectedness."

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