A Green, Green Roof

This is a wonderful sign and display with live plants, for the promotion of a sedum planted roof at the education building of the Milwaukee County Zoo. The zoo hosted the American Zoo and Aquarium Association national conference last week. Planted roofs are an old fashioned method of construction in northern Europe, but they are gaining popularity in this country.

In an increasing energy conscious nation, "Green" buildings are another way of looking at conservation. There are many ways to build a resource efficient building, depending on one's location. These can range from simple (orientation of windows, planting of deciduous trees) to complex (solar heat pumps, earth berms, geothermal energy, straw bale construction, locally produced, recycled materials).

The goal of an eco-building is to improve occupant health and productivity, while using resources more efficiently. The environmental impact should be reduced, while the value of the construction will increase. Although start-up costs may be high, there should be a savings over the life of the building.

For the Milwaukee County Zoo, the specific benefits of a planted roof is to reduce storm water runoff, decrease pollution, and lower temperatures. The graphic links the reader to a web cam where one can compare water runoffs and temperatures between the planted roof and a control section of roof without plants. For more information visit:

http://www.zoosociety.org/Education/GreenRoof.php