Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Winterized, but not slowing down

Today I write while listening to some rockin' holiday tunes (ha, don't judge) overlooking my green roof, dormant and buried under fresh snow. I am drinking hot tea, sweetened by some honey, produced by amazing bees whose home sits amongst a native prairie. In the midst of the winter season, we are surrounded by hints of the year's harvest. 
Milkweed
But this year's harvest was also cultivated by strengthening relationships which I observed at the annual green roof conference in November.  Most of my professional years have been in the industry, and I was once again reminded of all the colleagues I've met over the years- working on projects, building teams, sharing success stories. We work in a dynamic field which is in its infancy in comparison to some, and the variety of our professions still brings us to promote green roofs as a solution for whatever challenge a site might have. My connections are with manufacturers, growers, designers, engineers, researchers and marketers, which all bring their perspectives.
 
New prairie growing over 2 acres of building
AD Greenroof was brought on to some fantastic projects this growing season! One owner used her green roof to hide the building in the landscape.  Another wanted the roof to be designed as an amenity so they could increase occupancy rates faster than the other downtown buildings. A homeowner wanted his existing vegetated roof to have more diversity, friendly to the butterflies.  A facility manager recognized the value of ongoing, responsible management of their roof, and set aside the proper funds to pay for such services.  More designs are also in place to manage most of the storm water on site.

This is networking season, setting up time to build on partnerships, and evaluate opportunities. I look forward to sharing time with you