birds

Ikast: Past and present bring the lakeside to life

Maria Nørlyng Leal — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:31:40 +0000

Bølling Sø originated from a kettle hole which formed in the last ice age. Well-known figures like the Tollund man and the Elling girl lived by its shores, where the remains of many settlements have been found. The lake which has been restored is a good deal larger than the 140 hectares Bølling Sø occupied from the Neolithic period until 1870, when exploitation of the peat around the lake began and with it the excavation of drainage canals.

London: Insects up high

Maria Nørlyng Leal — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:25:16 +0000

Over the next three years, the Living Roofs for Wildlife project will install a total of six living roofs in central London. The roofs will eventually be part of a vegetation network that will ensure the survival of the city's bumblebees, butterflies, insects and birds. The project is focusing on the brown-banded carder bee (Bombus humilis) and the black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). Both species are threatened and their habitats are rapidly being disrupted with the expansion of urban areas and the intensification of farming.

Chicago: Green roofs cut energy bills

June-Catherina Starling — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:46:34 +0000

Chicago, like many other American cities, is battling the urban heat island effect, which is common in cities where many building surfaces are dark-coloured. A heat island is an urban area, significantly hotter than its surroundings. The urban heat island effect causes overheating of cities during the summer, leading to pollution and increased energy consumption from cooling and air conditioning. The condition occurs due to the use of concrete and asphalt in the city. Green roofs are one way of beating the problem.