Grand Valley’s rooftop gardens provide more than just aesthetics and scenery for the university’s campuses. They are one part of GVSU’s wider sustainability efforts highlighted by Sustainability Month, which include efforts toward zero waste football games , campus cleanups and more.
The "green roofs." as they are officially designated by GVSU, are a layer of plant material located on select buildings between the university’s Allendale and Pew Grand Rapids campuses.
The plants absorb rainwater to release back into the atmosphere or to use for themselves. This process can reduce rainwater runoff by up to 90 percent and reduce the pressure on storm drainage systems. Absorbing potential runoff also reduces erosion in the ravines around GVSU’s Allendale Campus and protects the plant life within them.
