WOW
We've just had our busiest week with over 253 pages looked at!
217 pages was the busiest week we'd had before. Lots of folks must be checking in about the roof. We also got a mention on Radio Sheffield in an interview on the radio. We'll see if we can get that on the BLOG later.

We're very tired after all that hard work last week so we're taking a well earned rest for a few days...see you in a short while. LOL Brix & Morta.

THE LAST
BIODIVERSE ROOF DAY

Friday saw the last of the material going up on the roof..Nigel Dunnett, Groundwork Sheffield and some more guys from Sheffield Hallam University were there to to do the last bits of work.
The last few bags were lifted onto the roof by a telescopic fork lift. Cath gave another tour of the site and told folks about all the 'eco' things about the building. Perhaps they'll go home and do some of their own green things now, if they haven't already. The last job of the day was to lift on and place a section of tree that was saved from those that had to be cut down when the construction began. It will provide a great place for the birds to perch when they come to the roof to feed.

Earlier during the construction a Sparrowhawk was seen catching another bird for its lunch and eating it on the site, just goes to show you don't have to be in the countryside to see really wild life!

The guys from Hallam University-Architecture and Environmental Design course. From left to right: Daniel, Jonathan, Matthew, Duncan, Geoff. Thanks to you all.

BIODIVERSE ROOFING

Thursday-Kier Sheffield & SD & PM and Rob

You can never have too many people digging...! Now who was it that dropped their keys?
Kevin takes up the brush, Chris and Paul discuss the merits of aggregate size, Rob wonders why he is the only volunteer from the client side and Kath adds a touch of glamour to the proceedings along with her many talents.

WOW, this morning the biodiverse roof was visited by the STAR newspaper and also Radio Sheffield and a whole host of VIP folks like Mary Lea (councillor for sustainability) came along. there was lots of interviewing and questions and stuff and we got to meet the women from Radio Sheffield. they did say that they would send the completed interview to us so we can put it on the blog. WATCH THIS SPACE, no we mean listen out for it! We'd like to thank Kev, Mark, Phil, Darren and Neil from Kier for their help today and Tom, Cath, Paul, Steve, Kath, Ben, Jo, Helen, Dick, Richard and Chris from Sheffield Design & Project Management and Rob from the Sheffield children & Young Peoples Service. Apologies if we've forgotten anyone...but we're very tired. GREAT JOB GUYS!

BIODIVERSE ROOFING

Wednesday-Sheffield University Students and Groundwork Sheffield

These guys and gals were the limestone team. They got to install the areas of roof that were different to the rest and had crushed limstone to create a different kind of place for other plants to live. We shall have to wait and see what like it here on this part of the roof.

BIODIVERSE ROOF ACTIVITIES
Tuesday-Hallam University Students

On Tuesday students from Sheffield Hallam University came as well, they had a cold windy day, but it didn't stop them from working really hard and getting loads done. Thanks also to Norman and Geoff for coming to site and looking after them while they were with us. They were from left to right:Oscar, Natasha, Rhys, Chris, Tariq, Richard, Palicarpio, Ben, Ruth, Luke, Claire, Henry, Joseph and Geoff.

Cath gave them a tour of the site and told them all about all the green features of our new school

Biodiverse roof works
Monday morning-more HSBC folks
We did our bit with our bucket as well!

We were given a tour of the building by Cath (Architect) and Mark (Site Project Manager), they told everyone about all the good stuff that the building has to make it 'green' and means that it will be nicer to our planet the EARTH and leave some of it for us to enjoy later.

BIODIVERSE ROOF WORKS...
Saturday morning! HSBC volunteers.

Anita, who worked really hard to get all the volunteers from HSBC to come and help build our roof landscape.

Teletubbyland! Over the hills and far away, Teletubbies come to play!




Charlotte directs operations...
Just over 150 tonnes of substrate for the roof have been lifted up by crane and now need barrowing, shovelling and raking to the design done by Nigel Dunnett, the roof Landscape designer from the University of Sheffield.

Richard and Ryan from Kier Sheffield (Contractor). They were our 'minders' for the day.

...while Barrie buries something and his team scratch their heads about where did all the shovels go?
We'd like to say thanks to all the folks who showed up and gave up their Saturday morning to help:
Anita, Barrie, Charlotte, Jane, Adrian, Kevin, another Adrian, Pete (who was actually a pupil at Sharrow Primary school!), Phil and Ashley.

The fab pictures with the black backgrounds were taken by Adrian...you can see the whole album if you follow this link...
http://www.pbase.com/bardgreen/sharrowbioroof

Also look for the photos of the graffitti wall in the basketball court in the park, but don't miss his other photographs, there are wonderful landscapes and wildlife pictures from all over the world. Adrian obviously travels a lot...we hope he offsets all his travelling by planting lots of trees or doing other carbon offsetting.

BIODIVERSE ROOF... NEWS!

Well it really looks like it's going to start soon...

At the moment the roof is being worked on by the contractor, completing the waterproofing and doing the drainage outlets and soon putting the drainage layer down.

Then it will be ready for the volunteers to come and make the form of the roof from all the 'substrate' (crushed brick and compost) that will be what the plants will grow in.

A VISIT TO SITE...

15th March

Evelyn and lots of our other friends from school came down to site to have a check on the progress of things...there was a big mobile crane on site that day getting ready to lift the substrate for the bio diverse roof onto the top of the building so it is ready for all the volunteers to spead next week.

Thanks to our special friends for looking after us on our visit.

HSBC










Well we've been to HSBC (they're a big bank) and some enthusiastic folks came to hear all about our roof and other green things about our new school. Lots of them are coming next week to help form the roof landscape.

We look forward to seeing people there. Fingers crossed for nice weather!

YEAH...
It's all going on today!

We're going to a presentation at HSBC later on to tell those helpful folks at HSBC all about sustainability and our roof. Lots of them are going to come and help us form the landscape for the biodiverse roof and maybe if we're lucky (we're keeping our paws crossed) some money to put into some edcational/environmental opportunities for the new school. Brix is getting his bucket out ready to help.

We're so excited.


OK, so we know it's not the roof at Sharrow but we thought we'd put up these photos of Nigel's shed in his garden as a bit of inspiration, because this is what he says it will be like when we've all finished doing our bit. A beatiful place, a haven for wildlife and it will deliver a whole collection of other environmental benefits that we've talked about here before.

We know that the bank is developing sustainable business initiatives in several areas, if you'd like a closer look then follow this link http://www.hsbc.com/hsbc/csr/our-sustainable-approach-to-banking/developing-sustainable-business and also has committment to the environment which we think is a good thing. See here for more details http://www.hsbc.com/hsbc/csr/environment

However...we're disappointed that it all seems so far away and sustainability starts at home in your local area where it matters to us, real bears and real people!

I wonder if we'll get a cup of tea...