This summer sees the launch of Red Rose Forest's exciting new project, Little Green Roofs.
Red Rose Forest will work with local communities across Manchester to create green roofs on small, uninhabited, communal buildings and structures, creating eye-catching new gardens and habitats for wildlife and helping to reduce the impact of climate change.
Community centres, places of worship, colleges, schools and Surestart centres, allotment societies and health centres across Manchester could all be enhanced by the creation of a Little Green Roof. Each green roof could be transformed into a wildflower garden and haven for insects or a herb /or vegetable patch. The design of each Little Green Roof will depend on the building and the requirements of the community group and the actual construction will be led by experts working alongside members of the community.
Little Green Roofs will help to raise awareness of larger scale green roof schemes which are valuable in terms of biodiversity and climate change. Green roofs can provide much needed nesting places and refuge for rare birds such as the Black Redstart as well as providing a habitat for bees which are declining rapidly. Green roofs can also play a role in helping urban areas adapt to climate change, helping to reduce the soaring summer temperature predicted for urban centres, absorbing rain water and providing thermal insulation.
Kevin from Red Rose Forest says "Having a green roof installed on a shed or container is much easier than you might think, and will be the talk of your neighbourhood. We are looking for small, uninhabited buildings where the roofs can be transformed into eye catching new habitats. So if you know of any suitable community buildings, get in touch with us."
If you think you know of a small roof in Manchester suitable for greening, if you want to get involved in building a green roof, or for more information, please contact Kevin Wigely, Green Streets Project Officer at
or visit www.redroseforest.co.uk
Little Green Roofs is a Red Rose Forest project, part funded by Manchester City Council's Carbon Innovation Fund.
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact Sally Mizon in the Press Office on: 0161 872 1660 or email:
Notes to Editors: Little Green Roofs is an exciting project from Red Rose Forest, creating fantastic roof-top hotspots for greenery and biodiversity and helping to reduce the impact of climate change. Working closely with local communities across Manchester, Little Green Roofs will help to transform the roofs of small, uninhabited, communal buildings and structures into havens for wildlife. These green roofs will help tackle the soaring summer temperatures that are predicted to affect urban centres, as well as reduce the chances and severity of urban flooding. Little Green Roofs is a Red Rose Forest project, part funded by Manchester City Council's Carbon Innovation Fund.
Red Rose Forest is a leading environmental regeneration initiative and the Community Forest for central and western Greater Manchester. We are a partnership of Natural England, the Forestry Commission, the Metropolitan Boroughs of Bolton, Bury, Trafford and Wigan and the Cities of Manchester and Salford. Over forty years we are working to develop well-wooded, multipurpose landscapes to transform a large part of Greater Manchester into a greener, healthier and more satisfying place to live, work and invest. At the heart of our strategy is the involvement of a wide partnership of local communities, businesses and other partners in the environmental, social and economic regeneration of the area. For more information visit www.redroseforest.co.uk
