By Whitney Baxter
In less than two hours, Ben Moss and one of his friends planted 220 new grasses and perennial sedum on the roof of Horticulture Hall last month, transforming the space students pass by daily.
“I wanted a hands-on, real-life project where I could put into practice what I was learning in my classes,” Moss, a senior in horticulture, said. “Being able to design and implement this was a lot of fun.”
Originally installed in 2011, the building’s 378-square foot green roof had become overrun with ornamental garlic and needed to be restored. Moss decided to renovate the roof as an independent study project.
In addition to the various grasses and several varieties of sedum, approximately 1,000 flowering bulbs will be planted this semester to provide colorful blooms each spring and fall. The green roof can be seen from the south-facing windows on the east end of the first-floor hallway.
“My intent was to make sure it looks good when students are in session,” Moss said of selecting spring- and fall-blooming flowers.
The plants were donated by Midwest Groundcovers LLC in Illinois, and the bulbs will come from Brent and Becky’s out of Virginia.
Horticulture Hall’s green roof is just one of many on campus. Other buildings that have at least partial “living roofs,” as they are sometimes called, include Elings Hall, the Student Innovation Center and the Memorial Union – covering roughly 52,000 square feet.
Kevin Duerfeldt, assistant teaching professor of horticulture, was a graduate student when Horticulture Hall’s green roof was first installed. He said green roofs have many benefits, from prolonging the life of the building’s roof membrane, to reducing water runoff and providing pollinator habitat, to improving the mental and physical health of individuals who view and interact with green roofs.
There is a lot of interest among Iowa State students related to sustainability, Duerfeldt said, and it was nice to see the space renovated.
“My favorite part of this job is seeing students get excited about projects,” Duerfeldt said. “It has been really cool seeing how Ben has grown and developed as he has progressed through our program.”
While working on green roofs is not necessarily in Moss’ career trajectory, he is glad this project will become a permanent fixture on campus for future students to enjoy.
“It’s cool to do something on campus with my friends that will leave a lasting mark,” he said.
The campus community is invited to learn more about green roofs and Moss’ work at the Horticulture Graduate Seminar: Green Roofs and Cities Alive Conference, Nov. 18, from 4:25-5:15 p.m. in 118 Horticulture Hall.
Source : iastate.edu