Angus MacDonald SNP party member for Falkirk East enjoyed a trip to a green roof opposite CalaChems reception on the 16th of April. Angus was joined by John Walker (CalaChem Building and Estates Manager), Suzanne Burgess (Buglife Scotland Manager) and Christopher Langton (from Bauder) to discuss the importance of green roofs and other green infrastructure for wildlife and people.

CalaChems green roof is over 140m2 in size and was installed in May 2015 through the Glorious Green Roof project with funding from HLF and EU life funds through EcoCo. This Inner Forth Landscape Initiative project has helped to create a stepping stone for wildlife allowing them to move and mix across the area of Grangemouth. Last year wildflowers on the roof including Kidney vetch, Thrift and Oxeye daisy provided forage for bumblebees, butterflies and even 7-spot ladybirds! An Oystercatcher also nested on the roof!

As well as providing habitat for wildlife at roof level, green roofs have a number of other benefits, including cooling the building in summer and insulating it in winter, reducing noise pollution and flooding, as well as increasing the lifespan of the roof!

Angus MacDonald MSP enjoyed his visit to the biodiverse roof and learning how it is benefitting the local area as well as CalaChem. This spring we will add extra wildflowers that will provide further forage opportunities for bees and other pollinators.

Photograph by Iain Sinclair