STEPPING STONE FORESTS LIMITED

Stepping Stone Forests Limited is a specialist environmental organisation that creates compact, urban woodlands known as "Stepping Stone Forests". Drawing on the pioneering planting method of Professor Akira Miyawaki, the company transforms vacant city sites into densely planted native forests, typically installing one to five trees or shrubs per square metre. The preparation process involves covering the ground with a layer of cardboard and a thick mulch blanket to suppress weeds, retain moisture and stabilise temperature, after which community volunteers or schoolchildren plant bare-root Irish trees and shrubs during the October-to-March window.

The core service is the full-cycle delivery of these rapid-growth ecosystems - from site assessment and ground preparation to planting and minimal post-planting care. By using native species that are already acclimatised to Irish conditions, the forests achieve remarkable ecological benefits: they sequester more than thirty times the carbon of a typical grass lawn, cool the surrounding area by around two degrees centigrade, and provide vital habitats for local wildlife. After three years the forests become self-sustaining, requiring only occasional mulch top-ups, making them a low-maintenance, high-impact solution for cities, schools and community groups across Ireland.