🕊 Community Spotlight: Sebastian River Farms 🕊

One of the biggest challenges of the Miyawaki Forest Planting Method is sourcing the right plants. For the Sgt. Elio Diaz Memorial Forest, we needed more than 22 native Florida species to recreate a healthy, layered habitat. Ideally, we look for 1-gallon or 3-gallon plants – small enough for a child to pick up, easy for families to handle, and perfect for dense forest planting.

But as planting day drew closer, a handful of key species were still missing in those smaller sizes. The clock was ticking.

So what did we do? We didn’t give up.

We reached out again to Sebastian River Farms, one of the native nurseries we love working with. From the very beginning, they were eager to support the project and had already offered to contribute larger specimen trees. Their idea turned out to be exactly what the memorial forest needed – not only to complete the species list, but to add unique structure and beauty to the landscape.

With their help, we incorporated stunning needle palms and multi-trunk sabal palms, giving the young forest an immediate sense of presence. And thanks to the strength and teamwork of the Diaz family and CCSO, those larger palms were planted with care and intention.

Thank you, Sebastian River Farms, for contributing and delivering these special trees. Your generosity helped shape the character of the Sgt. Elio Diaz Memorial Forest, and we are deeply grateful for this beautiful community that continues to show up for one another.