Elizabeth, New Jersey, is a bustling industrial center with a major East Coast container port and Newark International Airport. The area faces a high risk of flooding due in part to limited tree cover. In 2021, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation helped plant more than 260 native species in a 40-by-45-foot plot behind one of Elizabeth’s public libraries. Since then, they have added four additional tiny forests.

Native species densely planted in a small, contained area grow twice as fast as standalone plants because they have to compete for resources. In just five years, these microforests have achieved levels of carbon sequestration and oxygen production comparable to older forests.

A 2025 study of three Elizabeth microforests revealed they were four degrees cooler than mature, standalone trees and 50 degrees cooler than nearby asphalt parking lots. Additionally, their soil is now up to 50 times more permeable, providing essential habitats for local wildlife.