In celebration of honoring Earth Day 2015 and our planet’s ecology through healthy, regenerative design, we are highlighting each of the 23 awesome videos from our 30+ spectacular speakers from Greenroofs.com‘s Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015 ~ Connecting the Planet with Living Architecture: People, Projects & Design, running through May 31st.

Our hope is that by familiarizing you more with each presentation and its particular benefits, you will be enticed to join us during our wonderfully easy-to-navigate online Virtual Summit!  And, along with the speakers’ input, I will identify 5 Key Learning Objectives or “takeaway” bullet points that each video presentation provides to participants.

Today we are spotlighting the “Social Healing with Greening” Panel – Part 1 with Patrick Carey of Hadj Design, Peter Ensign of DC Greenworks, and George Irwin of Green Living Technologies International.  Originally designed to include the 4th participant, Darius Jones from the Chicago Botanic Garden, he was unable to join the others for the live taping so Patrick interviewed him on a subsequent day.

Therefore, “Social Healing with Greening” Panel – Part 2 with Patrick Carey and Darius Jones will be highlighted tomorrow.

You know that Patrick has been one of our earliest contributing editors, the Architecture Editor, and writes an occasional architectural column entitled “A View from the Sky Trenches,” where he selects and discusses pertinent greenroof industry topics.  He has written much including the excellent A Guide to Phytoremediation: A Symbiotic Relationship with Plants, Water & Living Architecture, and moderated several other panels prior to these; see these videos from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2013: “Environmental Healing through Phytoremediation – Chapter One” Panel Session with Patrick Carey (Moderator), Dr. Alan Darlington, Dr. Paul Mankiewicz, and Dr. Clayton Rugh and “Theory & Field Studies: An Interview with Dr. Ian Balcom from Lyndon State College of Vermont & Dr. Robert Cameron from Penn State – Phytoremediation Chapter 2” Panel Session with Patrick Carey (Moderator).

Patrick is a masterful and thoughtful facilitator, and we cherish him dearly for all of his contributions!

Peter Ensign is a great guy, and has been involved in our industry with DC Greenworks for many years, tirelessly promoting the health and promise of the human spirit, living architecture, and green infrastructure – in fact, Haven Kiers and I have highlighted their wonderful work previously in our yearly Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design.

George Irwin is another esteemed contributing editor of ours, the Green Wall Editor, known for his outspoken and sometimes controversial opinions – he calls it as he sees it and has no qualms about it!  He has also participated in previous Virtual Summits; see his collaborative video “Skyrise Ag: 5 Ways to Local Food Production” with Helen Cameron, Mohamed Hage, George Irwin, Ben Flanner and Alan Joaquin from 2013 and the “Vertical Agriculture: A Global Movement Starts Locally, from Wall to Table” with George Irwin, Tom Ferraro, and U.S. Congressman Tom Reed from 2011.

The premise of the Social Healing with Greening” Panel Session is that the idea of ecology is not limited to stormwater runoff and saving energy.  It also includes how we relate to each other, how imbalances are addressed – no less so than in the natural environment.  In this hour plus, panelists experienced in working with issues of human ecology like unemployment, poverty, and rehabilitation through projects that also heal the natural environment, will share their experiences and perspectives.

Chicago, IL, USA. “Patrick Carey, GRP, has a degree in architecture and is principal of Hadj Design. Since 2000, Hadj Design has evolved from a design-build green roof and living wall to a research and design organization. Patrick has designed, installed, or consulted on over 100 green roofs to date. This work ranges from residential to commercial and institutional, various geometries and global climate regions, and with various performance characteristics such as storm water, food production, healing garden, habitat support, public art, and phytoremediation.

As such, he has been an activist in forming or aiding in the formation of grass roots green roof groups. His academic background is in philosophy, architecture, and botany/horticulture.  Patrick is a trainer with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities where he facilitates the Green Roof 101, 201, 301, & 401 Courses and has also taught at various universities.” ~ Read his complete bio here from the VS2015.

Washington, DC, USA. “Peter Ensign, LEED AP BD+C, GRP,  has been the Executive Director of DC Greenworks in Washington, DC since 2010. Peter has overseen the installation of over 70 green roofs, 3500 rain-barrels, dozens of rain and native habitat gardens, and the only rooftop farm in DC. In 2014 Peter developed and delivered the first green roof maintenance training program, Growing Futures, in the District of Columbia. Upon completion all of the graduates were employed within 30 days. Peter has served as a speaker on stormwater issues and green job training through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Peter envisions a future where rainwater is considered a valuable resource to be harvested and reused for the greater good, requiring a local skilled labor force to perform stewardship of our natural assets. Peter holds a multi-disciplinary degree in Architecture and Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.” ~ Read his complete bio here from the VS2015.

Rochester, NY, USA. “George Irwin is founder and President of Green Living Technologies International, LLC (GLTi), a privately held company manufacturing patented Green Living Walls and Green Living Roofs, and is a global pioneer in vertical farming. Prior to founding GLTi, George was a landscape contractor for 20+ years. He holds a degree in education and maintains his passion for out-of-the-box learning. His efforts have earned him recognition as an education partner for the New York City Department of Education and additional higher education facilities, such as the State University of New York (and other international universities), with the development of a dedicated degree track in “Green Technology / STEM” education.

GLTi’s patented product applications of green walls and roofs include scalable vertical farms utilizing a compost-based growing media (GLTi bioSoil), allowing indoor farming operations 12 months a year to maximize production space including walls, roof, and the vertical floor plan.” ~ Read his complete bio here from the VS2015.

You will benefit from these 5 Key Learning Objectives as Patrick Carey, Peter Ensign, and George Irwin share on the subject:

1) Learn about the numerous benefits to the green economy when including greenroofs and greenwalls and with different training programs how people – at risk youth, underprivileged adults or transitioning adults – can turn their lives around and heal themselves and the environment.  What are the social benefits to these programs?  Why is it important to have some classroom component, internship, and field skills for a trained workforce;

2) Peter Ensign: For 21 years DC Greenworks has been working in the green and green infrastructure industry with schools in underserved neighborhoods, creating demonstration projects including greenroofs, rain gardens, rain barrels, conservation landscaping, etc., moving from installation to training and workforce development and now greenroof  maintenance; 

3) George Irwin: He stepped down as CEO (now president) of Green Living Technologies to focus on vertical farming and educational programming: learning by doing, hands-on; edibles equal renewables which creates jobs.  3200 people have come through their training, with education in 13 countries plus across the U.S.  Their pilot classroom in the Bronx was at Discovery High which went from 43 – 93% attendance to 100% attendance rates for four years in a row; 

4) What are the benefits and limitations of – and how they work – incentives and mandates from a public or non-profit perspective versus how the private sector operates around the independent contractor; the blending of the public and private;

5) Patrick Carey: What promises and nightmares do you see on the horizon for the social productivity of what you’re doing, in terms of the theme of the panel – the transition between education and work experience?

Watch the 1:18:08 video presentation “Social Healing with Greening” Panel – Part 1 with Patrick Carey, Peter Ensign, and George Irwin now playing at the Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015.  If you have not yet registered (only $49 or 25), please do:

Registration fee:

$49 – special discounted pricing;

$25 for students/faculty and government professionals

All Video Presentations, Q & A Transcripts, & Exhibitor Booths are On Demand +
Networking Live 24/7 through May 31, 2015

Earn CEUs including 10 GRP CEUs.  Register here.

Registration Open through May 31st for the Greenroofs.com Virtual Summit 2015

We hope you will support our work!  Please remember that these video presentations will not be made public for at least one year.

Happy watching and participating,

~ Linda V.

Learn more about these awesome video presentations and their 5 Key Learning Objectives at the Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015:

“A Green Building Should Look Green, Which Means Hairy!” by Dr. Ken Yeang.

“Biodiversity in the Sky – How Green Roofs Can Be Designed as Wild Life Refuges” by Dr. Stephan Brenneisen.

“Green Roofs to New Cities” by Dr. Diana Balmori.

“A Higher Purpose – Benefits to Human Health and Education through Green Roofing” by Elizabeth Hart.

“Beyond Extensive and Intensive: Defining the Comprehensive Green Roof” by Molly Meyer.

“Biosolar Roofs” by Nathalie Baumann and Dusty Gedge.

“From Passive House to the Cold North—How Vegetative Envelope Components Impact Buildings” Panel with Dr. Bob Cameron, Dr. Allen Lee, Dr. Karen Liu, and Chris Wark.

“Greening Rooftops in Alberta: People, Place + Projects” by Kerry Ross.

“Greening the World Inside and Outside” by Mark Paul.

“Greenwalls in Middle Earth” by Graham Cleary.

“Pollinators on the Parapets” by Angie Durhman.

“Small Scale Green Roofs” by Dusty Gedge and John Little.