Reclaim Building Square Footage: Dead Space to Living Space Hard surfaces dominate urban landscapes. Rooftops, buildings, parking structures, and retaining walls account for a considerable share of urban land cover, yet they are typically engineered to perform a single, limited function: enclosure. From an ecological standpoint, these surfaces underperform. Permeable surfaces absorb and radiate heat, […]
Green Roofs under a blanket of snow A green roof blanketed in snow appears quiet and inactive. The growing season is dormant, but beneath the soft, white layer, these systems are remarkably productive. The winter season is one of survival, protection and preparation. While vegetation seemingly hibernates, there are complex ecological and structural processes at […]
Pro tips to reawaken plants When you start to hear the birds chirping again it’s a clear sign that Spring has arrived. It’s also a signal that your green roof is coming out of its winter hibernation and will require a return to maintenance. What it will need varies from site to site and the […]
One of the most important environmental events globally is Earth Day, annually celebrated on April 22. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day is now active in more than 193 countries and is coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. The organization’s mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. It is the […]
In our ecosystem, bees and butterflies play a vital role. So, there are over 400 different bee species in Ontario alone and over 100 butterfly species. Keeping our plants and trees pollinated is one of the most important functions of pollinators. They do this by carrying pollen from a male anther of a flower to […]
2020 was definitely a challenging year for everyone. Luckily, we were very fortunate that our industry was considered essential so we could continue with our work. This is important because problems such as flooding and heatwaves don’t pause just because there is another emergency, and green roofs can help with both of those things, especially in […]
Integrating green roof Photovoltaic (PV) panels systems has traditionally been seen as two distinct technologies vying for roof space. “Time and time again, researchers have observed a positive correlation between PV module efficiency and green roof health.” According to the City of Toronto’s Green Roof Bylaw, new buildings subject to the policy may deduct roof […]
Spring is in the air, and with that comes the important task of preparing green roofs for the season ahead. While green roof maintenance plans vary according to the system, there are a few key things to know about facilitating the transition from dormant winter sedums to summer blooms. Ginkgo Sustainability’s maintenance team maintained over […]
‘Connecting the Living and Built Environments.’ This is GINKGO’s motto, and the pursuit of this connection is what drives us at our company and our employees. As cities expand and green spaces disappear in today’s modern age, our relationship with the environment has become strained as we have reduced nature’s role in our lives. Many […]
