Sempergreen acts on high mortality rate bees and butterflies and launches a bee and butterfly-friendly vegetation blanket
Posted on Tuesday 29 September, 2015
In recent years, the global bee and butterfly populations have deteriorated at an alarming rate. One of the reasons for this is the increasing absence of nectar and pollen. Bees and butterflies play a vital role in food production and biodiversity, and more than 80% of all plants eaten by human beings all over the world depend on pollination by bees for their survival. These developments were enough reason for Sempergreen to take action, which led to the development of the Bees & Butterflies blanket for green roofs. On 25 September, the very first B&B blanket project was revealed during a festive launching ceremony on the well-known Polderdak in Amsterdam in presence of the Dakdokters, an organisation specialised in sustainable roofing, and the Dutch Butterfly Conservation Foundation.
Irresistible to bees and butterflies
A wide variety of host plants and mellifluous plants were selected for the Bees & Butterflies blanket. These plants, more than 50 species in all, have various flowering periods, ranging from early spring to late autumn. Bees and butterflies feed on nectar plants. Host plants serve as food for caterpillars, which means that they form a vital link in the transformation process from egg to butterfly.
Sempergreen uses no pesticides whatsoever during the production process.
Free of pesticides
Sempergreen uses no pesticides whatsoever during the production process, and this vegetation blanket is therefore 100% organic and environmentally friendly. Urban areas often offer little space for biodiversity, and micro habitats are usually disrupted where construction takes place. The Bees & Butterflies blanket accelerates the revival of these micro habitats and helps restore the ecological cycle.
Festive launch on the Polderdak roof in Amsterdam
On 25 September, the very first B&B blanket project was revealed during a festive launching ceremony on the well-known Polderdak in Amsterdam. Among the guests were the De Dakdokters, an organisation specialised in sustainable roofing, and the De Vlinderstichting (Dutch Butterfly Conservation Foundation). This beautiful green roof garden with dynamic water storage facilities is situated right on top of a creative hotspot named the Old School. It is a source of inspiration for numerous space planners and real estate developers. One of the features of this remarkable roof is that the rain water has three different possible destinations; it is either re-used, collected or drained. This first Bees & Butterflies blanket project was installed in collaboration with the Dakdokters.
The nationally active Bees and Butterfly Conservation Foundation receives a donation for each m2
Sempergreen's contribution towards preventing the further decline of bee and butterfly populations comprises more than the construction of green roofs. The nationally active Bees and Butterfly Conservation Foundation receives a donation for each m2 that is sold. These contributions enable us to continue to support present and future research into the global decline of bees and butterflies.
Continuous research to develop the optimal plant mix
Sempergreen does much more than cultivate vegetation blankets. It is also a knowledge partner in the field of sustainable roofing. Sempergreen continually invests in research to develop an optimal mix of plants for bees, butterflies and other insects, in which it collaborates closely with the Dutch Butterfly Conservation Foundation and various colleges and universities.
Read more about biodiversity and green roofs in the white paper 'Building for biodiversity'.