Green roof planted atop L.E.A.F. building in Erie

Plants grow around the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park's Education Center, and soon they'll be growing atop it, too.

Installation of the first phase of a green roof began Wednesday on the building at 1501 W. Sixth St. If the last of the necessary funding comes through, the project could be completed next week. Officials said the new roof is educational, economically beneficial and environmentally friendly.

"It was just too cool a project to let go by," said Dave Skellie, coastal land use specialist with Pennsylvania Sea Grant.

He prepared a grant application on Erie's behalf for the green roof on the Education Center, which is owned by the city and maintained by L.E.A.F.

Skellie and L.E.A.F. Director Charlotte Mashyna said hundreds of trays of soil pre-planted with sedums were being hoisted onto the roof, covering an area a little more than 2,000 square feet.

The green roof will retain stormwater and reduce the amount flowing into Cascade Creek, which runs through the park. Additionally, water that does flow from the roof will have been filtered naturally through the plants and soil, improving the quality of the stormwater that moves on to Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie.

"We're very environmentally conscious, and it is an environmentally good thing to do," Mashyna said.

The project also is expected to extend the life of the building's roof, and having plants growing there will reduce energy bills.

"They do help with the heating in winter and the cooling in summer," Skellie said.

Mashyna said the roof also is an educational project, showing the community an alternative for keeping water clean and heating and cooling costs down. Information about the green roof will be shared through public workshops and programs for students.

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Green roof planted atop L.E.A.F. building in Erie