Resources
March 20, 2003
New England
By
Suzanne DeJohn,
Candler, NC
Shows & Events
Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference
Greenroofs have been popular in Europe for a long time now, but they are relatively new to this country. A greenroof isn't just a rooftop garden, it's a roof that uses plant material in place of asphalt, shingles, or tar. Benefits include energy conservation and decreased water runoff.
According to the Greenroofs.com Web site, "Greenroofs ... are living, vegetative roofing alternatives designed in stark contrast to the many standard non-porous roof choices. Their greatest potential lies in this capacity to cover impervious surfaces with permeable plant material. Greenroofs help to invest in the protection of our environment by diminishing developmental impact on our communities while providing a fresh approach with visually appealing organic architecture. Here is a potentially ideal architectural union of aesthetics, economics, and ecology."
The Greenroof movement will hold it's first annual trade show on May 29-30. The Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference will take place in Chicago
at the Congress Plaza Hotel. Visit http://www.greenroofs.ca/ for more information.
Local Buzz
Monarchs Make a Recovery
About 80 percent of overwintering monarch butterflies were killed last year during an usual cold spell in their winter home in Mexico. However, researchers have found that the butterfly population has recovered to some degree.
In an amazing phenomenon still not fully understood by scientists, millions of monarch butterflies migrate up to 3,000 miles to Mexico, where they pass the winter clustered in treetops. For more information about monarch migration and preservation efforts, go to http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/qtr1_2003/0213-127.html
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