Thanks to funding from SITA Enriching Nature Programme, Buglife in partnership with Livingroofs.org and the Green Roof Consultancy have produced the UK’s first report on creating biodiverse green roofs, specifically for invertebrates. The report gives advice and guidance on how to design a roof for wildlife, including details on substrate choice and depth, which wildflowers to plant and how to create a variety of habitats such as wildflower meadows, bare ground, dead wood piles and bug hotels.
The guidance is supported by scientific studies – biodiverse green roofs have been well studied in Switzerland and the UK and the wildlife that visits them has been closely monitored and recorded over a number of years. The guidance takes into consideration the study findings and gives advice on how to transform a standard green roof into a wildlife haven.
Clare Dinham, Buglife Conservation Officer said “Most people have heard of a green roof using sedum, however these roofs are lower in wildlife value when compared to a biodiverse green roof. We are trying to get people to help wild pollinators by considering biodiverse green roofs. We hope that this new guidance will help architects, planners, ecologist, and the green roof industry to design and promote the use of biodiverse green roofs within new developments, as standard practice”.
You can download the report here (PDF 6MB).
