Search

The article discusses the covering of roofs of urban buildings with vegetation. The so-called "green roof" is a trend that is gaining momentum as a means of conserving energy and providing a habitat for endangered urban wildlife. The article discusses the 2.5-acre roof of the California Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco, California, which is being turned into a landscape similar to that of the serpentine grasslands that surround the city. Creating a green roof that is similar to surrounding habitats will provide extra space for urban fauna like the endangered bay checkerspot butterfly. Green roofs also help regulate a building's temperature keeping it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, which reduces reliance on heating and air-conditioning and saves energy.

The green roof of the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California is discussed. It is reported that the roof features the city's largest concentration of native vegetation, including beach strawberry, stonecrop and poppies. The author talks about how the museum reopened in September 2008, after being completely rebuilt on its original site, with features such as a rain forest and the world's deepest coral reef tank. Visitors can view the rooftop garden from an observation deck.