I See Roofs Of Green

Just a mile or two from our main office lies the small town of Walton-on-the-Naze. What is particularly unique about this seaside town is that it is flanked on three sides by the sea. The Naze, an historic peninsula, is not only a natural open space but is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) famed for its fossils found in the Red Crag cliffs.

It’s because of this that the Essex Wildlife Trust has invested, via the ‘Naze Heritage Project’ to the construction of ‘The Naze Education and Visitors Centre’, almost finished and due to open to the public this Spring.

We at The Survey Initiative support the work that The Woodland Trust carry out, we love trees, we love all things green, we’re an environmentally friendly bunch and strive to keep our carbon footprint down.

So what’s that got to do with this new visitor’s attraction that sits on our doorstep?

Well, what we like about the new building is that it has a living roof. Living roofs have many environmental advantages and we like that idea, a lot!

So here are our favourites:-

Health and well-being

Research is showing that the visual and physical contact with natural greenery provides a range of benefits to people. These include both mental benefits (reduction of stress for instance) and physical benefits (including the provision of cleaner air). Having access to green space can bring about direct reductions in a person’s heart rate and blood-pressure, and can encourage a person’s general well-being.

A green space

In particular, for people who live and work in towns and cities, the value of green spaces is increasingly being recognised. A report produced by the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce outlines the various benefits that green spaces provide, such as ecological function, visually softening the built up environment, supporting biodiversity, aiding people’s mental and physical health, and providing a communal focus and sense of place.

Biodiversity and wildlife

Green roofs are essentially of greater benefit to biodiversity than more traditional roofing methods. It’s not only the types of plants chosen to cover a roof that contribute to its biodiversity and attraction and refuge to a whole host of wildlife, but by placing objects associated with natural habitats such as dead wood and old branches also increases the biodiversity of the roofs.

There are many more benefits to having a green, living roof, all of which can be found with a little research. By introducing green initiatives into the workplace, you can not only help the environment, but you can create a better working environment for your people which will go a long way to their health and well-being and engagement and productivity levels.

The Survey Initiative have over 18 years’ experience in employee research, so give us a call on +44 (0)1255 850051 or contact us via our website if you would like more information.