Change, from the roof on down

By Melissa Domsic

October 22, 2007 04:00 am

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TRAVERSE CITY -- Mykl Werth has been so busy building a house in Empire, he needed a break and some personal inspiration, which he found at the Great Lakes Bioneers Conference.

"It brings me back to that core of saving the earth, saving the local community," he said. "We're all part of a great change that's taking over."

Werth joined hundreds of ecologically and socially conscious people in discussions and workshops at the conference on Northwestern Michigan College's campus Saturday afternoon.

Bioneers is a nonprofit organization focused on environmental and social issues. It was formed in New Mexico in 1990 and since has grown to include members and conferences throughout the country.

Participants at the Great Lakes conference met with activists, farmers, doctors and other experts to take on topics like water quality, globalization, wind energy and local organic food.

More than 40 people attended a morning workshop to learn about green roofs.

The concept of rooftop planting dates back to the hanging gardens of Babylon, Viking homes and Easter Island structures, presenter Nathan Griswold said.

The Traverse City native works for a Chicago-based roofing company that manufactures and distributes green roofing materials. Vegetation-topped buildings provide insulation, retain storm water, reduce smog and beautify cities, he said.

A few curious students from Ferris State University decided they liked the idea of green roofs after learning about them at the workshop.

"I didn't realize they could grow trees on a roof," said Courtney Coe, a junior studying outdoor/adventure education. "Nature makes people feel better, so the more you can get, the better you are."

Large urban buildings comprised most of his examples, but some participants were more interested in incorporating greenery on the tops of their homes, local businesses and schools.

Holly Orians wants her high school students in Grand Rapids to learn about sustainable buildings and protecting the earth. She's helping one student complete a senior project on green roofs at the West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science.

"(It's about) teaching children to be responsible citizens," she said.

Others at the workshop swapped information and questions on their own green roof projects.

Griswold built a mini-green roof on a wooden, house-shaped mailbox for the class to see how it's done.

The Bioneers conference is more about sharing ideas and projects than complaining about problems, Ann Arbor resident Dustin Edwards said.

"It's a huge source of inspiration," he said. "It's really powerful to see people coming together to create positive social change."

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