Block 6

So the first stop on our tour of Berlin (which included me, Prof Koehler, a group from Texas A&M, and a special media-capable guest from NYC) was the block 6 on the old outskirts of w. berlin. For over 20 years (off and on due to some challenges and renovations) this block of high rises has been recycling its greywater for toilet flushing.
In the 1980s, as part of an initiative sponsored by the city of berlin, the water was is treated in the remedial wetland. Today, this wetland treats roof runoff (I think these roofs are also "green"), and a small decentralized treatment plant is used for the greywater. The plant has a greenroof shown here (behind the wetland)to the right and in this brochure

botany class

up on the roof with Dr. Koehler's botany-ish class. We are identifying the plants (both planted and established) along roof transects.
Tomorrow i am headed with Dr. Koehler to Berlin to meet up with some other students and tour around some of the older roofs...

book on german greenroofs from 1860

ok, so this is a reprint, but still pretty cool

attempts at greenroof wildlife photography

So... you have to trust me that these guys are actually on greenroofs, but here you see one of many snail specimens the day of our tour (it was very rainy) and a very happy pigeon (somewhat camouflaged by the purple Allium plants).

A fully equipped roof!

For around ten years, all sorts of data are being collected on these roofs. Show here are some weather sensors and a lysimter (the silver frame). Evaporation is measured as water weight loss from this box (there is a scale underneath), and runoff is measured by a small tipping spoon (that you can't see inside the small box attached to the frame)

Me-lichen

The lichens indicate good air quality.The are the tiny grey finger-like projections in the picture...

Greenroofs in Neubrandenburg

Here's an example of a greenroof at the Neubrandenburg Hochschule where I am interning.