Fall update: GRIN Mapping Project, Cities Alive

Lots has happened since our last update – notably the onset of autumn – high time for an update. As of June, we have a new and improved website, as well as tools for managing RSVPs and communications. We tested the RSVP tool out for our July green roof tour, and look forward to using it as we start to populate the calendar with activities and events in 2025. To stay informed, please join our mailing list.

Mapping Project: Results in, algorithms trained, donate to expand

In April 2024, GRIN commissioned Gentian Ltd. to map and assess Vancouver’s green infrastructure, with emphasis on green roofs (existing and potential), private gardens, and trees. Made possible by a generous initial donation, this work began with a 20 km2 area of Vancouver. The results are in and we will share the full report on our website soon.  The excerpt below gives a flavour. This is the first mapping of a North American city using this technology.

Vancouver served to train the algorithms. Ultimately, our goal is to map any town or city in BC that is interested in using green infrastructure for climate resilience and wellbeing. This data will help us guide and support BC municipalities to develop and promote proactive policies that enhance biodiversity and resilience through the addition of urban greenery, including rooftops. 

Now that the algorithms and models are ready, we need your help. The project is framed by a fundraiser, meaning more donations enable us to map and empower more BC communities. Conducted in partnership with Small Change Fund, any donations of $10 or more will receive a tax receipt. To help advance this project, please:

• Share this campaign with your networks!
• Make a donation!

Thanks to our partnership with Small Change Fund, we can provide charitable tax receipts for donations over $10.

20th anniversary Cities Alive in Toronto

The 20th anniversary of the green roof industry in North America was celebrated at Cities Alive in Toronto from Nov. 6-9. Organized by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the event included 2 days of conference along with masterclasses, walking tours, and various networking events. GRIN was a media partner and several board members attended, some of whom were been involved in the industry from the very start, so we thought it would be fun to celebrate them here.

GRIN’s Executive Director, Dr. Christine Thuring, was easy to find in Toronto: she helped at the registration desk, attended the Industry Pioneers Gala, participated in the Green Roofs for Biodiversity Masterclass and everything in between! In addition to the first Chicago conference in 2003, Christine attended the first green roof demonstration launch at Toronto City Hall in 2001. She has one of the first green roof Master’s degrees from Penn State and a PhD in green roof ecology. Christine came to Vancouver in 2006 to join the team at BCIT, and is a tireless force for the movement. Christine consults on all things ecology with Ecotone: Restoring Biodiversity.

GRIN Member-at-Large, Dr. Karen Liu was also at the Toronto conference. Karen moderated a panel and gave a presentation about enhancing stormwater retention under hardscape amenity spaces. Karen’s green roof career began 20 years ago at the National Research Council in Ottawa where she established the first field research facility in Canada to study engineering performance of green roofs. She came to Vancouver in 2006 to set up the instrumentation of the BCIT Green Roof Research Facility. Karen is a Green Roof Specialist with Next Level Stormwater Management.

GRIN’s Secretary, Josh Stewart, was all over the Toronto conference, too. In addition to maintaining a presence at the Soprema booth in the exhibition space, Josh gave a presentation about the impact of rooftop amenity space on individuals and communities. Josh is the SOPRANATURE Technical Representative at Soprema Canada and is a living architecture subject matter expert. Josh is pursuing his MBA in Sustainable Innovation at the University of Victoria.

GRIN Treasurer, Holly Horne, lives in Toronto, and was at the conference, too. Holly got into green roofs in the early 2000’s through her thesis in Landscape Architecture, which focused on rooftop agriculture. Now a licensed Landscape Architect and Green Roof Professional, Holly has spent the last 6 years working with Ginkgo Sustainability, collaborating on many green roof installation and maintenance projects in Ontario and British Columbia. Holly is Head of Design & Project Manager / Estimator with Gingko Sustainability.

GRIN Member-at-Large, Fai Hui, was also at the Toronto conference. His access into green roofs was through design, installation and maintenance of rooftop farms at universities, schools and offices in Asia and Canada. In 2023, Fai joined Gingko Sustainability, Canada’s largest green roof installation and maintenance company. Fai eluded the group photo!