The Green Roof Project: planting seeds with purpose

A study group made of environmental studies majors have rolled out a public campaign to gather support from faculty and students on campus, and they believe they now have the research to support implementing a green roof on campus.

A green roof is covered with a vegetative layer, where local plants and wildlife are given a free and safe space to grow. The Green Roof Project believes green roofs are more than just simple gardens, but are instead a space where humans and nature come together to peacefully coexist in a perfect balance.

In August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a $7 million investment plan for the construction of a new science building for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary located on the California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) campus.

The plan aims to strengthen the NOAA’s conservation efforts as well as promoting collaboration between CSUMB and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

With the development plans still in the works, The Green Roof Project, an independent student study group on campus, is hoping to be involved in those collaboration efforts – with their idea of implementing a green roof at CSUMB already long in the works.

“We don’t have a ton of green spaces other than the big patches of lawn, so having the green roof would just show that we are not separate from nature, we are nature,” said fourth-year environmental studies major Daniel Bautista. “Nature and humans are meant to coexist together and I think that’s a really big reason as to why having a green roof as opposed to telling people to go walk on the golf frisbee areas is important.”

The study group was initially formed during a field trip over a year ago when environmental studies students visited the California Academy of Sciences and were inspired by the museum’s impressive green roof. With the help of their faculty advisor, Victoria Derr, a professor for the Department of Applied Environmental Science at CSUMB, these students want to create their version of a green roof on campus.

Studies show that green roofs improve mental health, reduce anxiety and stress, along with increasing social connectedness.

An important aspect of The Green Roof Project is the potential mental health benefits the space could bring to students. Third-year Cay Bessey trusts in the science that shows the mental health improvement a green roof can bring.

“Studies consistently demonstrate that nature contact provides positive health benefits. They’re doing studies on biophilic design with people in hospitals and prisons, showing when they are immersed in nature, their mental health is getting better and they end up healing faster,” said Bessey.

Another member of The Green Roof Project, Janet Garcia, not only highlights improvement of mental health as playing a crucial role in a green roof, but also how it leads to physical improvement.

“There’s also a physical aspect to it because it encourages students that really don’t typically go outside or immerse themselves with nature, and it gives them that opportunity to get out there more often, find hobbies that they wouldn’t typically go for, and it introduces them to a whole different aspect [of] healthy living,” said Garcia.

Based on a survey administered last semester, the members of the project have learned that CSUMB students are eager to see a green roof on campus. Most participants desired the green roof as a “method of community gathering and eco-therapy/meditation” according to fourth-year Evelyn La.

Implementing a green roof on campus isn’t a new concept according to the study group. They believe with the proper development plans in place, a green roof is more than possible at CSUMB, whether it’s on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary building or not.

“People are already doing this. It’s happening actually everywhere,” said Bessey. “So the infrastructure has already been figured out. I just wanted to make a point of how cool this actually could be. It’s already happening in Europe. It’s already happening in the state of California.”

As development of the new building continues, with no guarantee of a green roof being installed, there is a lot more planning that needs to happen before one is possible at CSUMB. Yet, the folks at The Green Roof Project are hopeful about what the future brings for the idea, and what it could mean for students beyond a green roof.

“I want to see this project succeed not only because of all the great benefits that come with a green roof, but because this whole study is really a labor of love. It shows that when students are passionate about something … we can get it done,” said La. “How cool is it that a group of students can get this whole thing done on a building at school? It shows that we have a voice on campus and what we do and our ideas matter.”