“We really want our students and staff to cycle to work instead of taking the car – especially if the car runs on gas or diesel! That’s why it’s great that we’ve received money from Hvidovre Municipality’s Green City Grant to put green roofs over the bike sheds, so the area will look great. It also means that local residents will have something nice and inspiring to look at when they use the path past the school”, says Tania Sheikh Larsen, principal of Hvidovre High School.
She also sits on the steering committee for Avedøre Green City and is passionate about getting the district to the forefront of green change and sustainable development.
These days she is delighted since Hvidovre High School’s bicycle stand roofs have been turned green with the help of the Avedøre Green City secretariat and support from Hvidovre Municipality’s Green City Grant.
The roofs will show how Avedøre can actively contribute to biodiversity in urban areas and support wild nature – to the delight and benefit of insects and birds. Green roofs also play an important role in climate adaptation, as they absorb rainwater instead of draining it away.
The roofs, which are circular when viewed from above, are intended to symbolise how we need to think of our resources as part of a cycle if we are to succeed in reducing our climate footprint on the planet. They show that in the future we need to think about the city and the buildings in it in a new way if we are serious about going green.
“Our talented students are producing signs to communicate their knowledge about physiology, green roofs and CO2 to everyone who passes by. We would like to invite kindergartens, schools and private individuals to drop by after the summer holidays and see the beautiful green roofs, read the signs and hopefully learn more about sustainability”, says a proud principal who is advocating for many more sustainable projects. She concludes by explaining why:
“At Hvidovre Gymnasium & HF we work to make scientific theory tangible and relevant to the students. At the same time, it is important for us to turn students into good citizens who use their knowledge to make a difference. The projects are very much in line with both social responsibility and sustainability in practice.”