Living roof bus stops boost biodiversity
At KaarbonTech, we are investing heavily in our Grass SMART & Tree SMART solutions to support green, ecological and biodiverse projects up and down the country. Living roof bus stops are a prime example of the types of projects needed to help promote greener living and are fast becoming a feature in many towns and cities around the UK.
One of the latest measures to tackle climate change and boost biodiversity, these living roofs are a step to helping towns become carbon neutral whilst supporting essential pollinators.
What are living roof bus stops?
First appearing in Utrecht in the Netherlands, living roofs or ‘bee bus stops’ are specially designed boxes that sit on top of bus shelters. Designed in partnership with ecologists, they bring greenery into the urban landscape, planted with up to 18 varieties of plants which give a flowering cycle from March to October.
Why are they important?
Living roofs attract the right kinds of insects and pollinators to the area, supporting the biodiversity of our towns as well as absorbing rainwater and making a small contribution to offsetting the urban heat island effect. With pollinators in decline over recent years, a network of living roof bus stops may well support their increase, attracting many varieties of bees, butterflies and hoverflies. We rely on nature to provide us with food, development of medicines and fresh water amongst other vital reasons, so the importance of taking action cannot be underestimated.
How are they installed?
The roofs are a modular design that can fit almost any bus shelter, and take only a few hours to install. They have been with sustainability in mind, with a roof and tray system and a gravel and compost mix, enabling deeper roots for healthier plants and longer-lasting flowers. Only two annual visits are required for fertilising, weeding and trimming, and the plants are very hardy, only needing to be watered after a prolonged dry spell.
New green spaces
Living roof bus stops are a visual way to show a town’s commitment to tackling climate change and supporting biodiversity, and with 97% of England’s wildflower meadows lost since the second world war, these are important steps to take. Small actions combine for larger effect, and installing living roofs alongside leaving uncut wildflower verges and considering tree planting programmes can help in the grand scheme of creating healthier local communities and increasing green space.
Several towns and cities in the UK have installed these living roofs, joining the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, France and Belgium in their mission to promote biodiversity. These shelters provide green space in urban areas which would otherwise be impossible to introduce. Shelters in Derby, combined, equal the size of a small field, providing an urban home to many species that otherwise would never enter the area and creating a greener, healthier and more biodiverse city.
Our Technical Strategy Manager, Doug Maxted, views these living roofs as a step forward in many areas:
“It’s very easy to see why living roof bus stops are being implemented up and down the country. Not only is there an aesthetic appeal, with these adding some much-needed brightness and colour into an otherwise dead space and enhancing journeys, they are at the same time providing inner city environments, which are often less biodiversity rich with a great opportunity to flourish. With the well-publicised decline in bee populations over recent years, it’s great to see so many local authorities taking these steps to protect and enhance our living environment for the future.”