I had the pleasure of stopping by the museum yesterday. It is coming along very well. Karla and I have truly been honored to work on this project and although very happy with the end result in October, we still have a long road ahead of us. I also did want to mention that I saw honey bees, 4 different species of butterflies and several other invertebrate species on the roof today which is a tremendous measure of success.
I did have several concerns and wanted to address them in this email: I have attached slides to correspond with these issues.
Mark, I also wanted to check in and see if you have received the Maintenance Manual and if you have any questions or comments or would like assistance in coordinating with Valley Crest. Martin has requested a copy of the Maintenance Manual. I will send a virtual copy today.
Slides:
1. Maintenance and irrigation:
a. there is an invasion of euphorbia and other weeds on the roof. The euphorbia will take over very quickly and be impossible to get rid of. It will need to be handpulled along with other broad leaf weeds such as the oxalis and bitter lettuce on the roof. Would it be possible to be informed of Valley Crest's intended maintenance plan and received their maintenance reports and photos from them so we can keep tabs and keep the weeds under control. Again they must be handpulled and no spray is to be used.
b. The cactus appear to have some type of mealy bug. These shall be dealt with but in an organic matter, so either removed by hand or sprayed off with a water jet. They will kill the catcus. We can also add more of these in areas that we want to keep people out as they are doing a wonderful job and growing well.
c. The ground landscape is being heavily overwatered and has resulted in growth of moss on the soil. The plants we have chosen are drought tolerant and will not survive under these excessively wet conditions.
2. Access and Damage:
The roof is not ready for foot traffic and it is imperative that the "walkway" be discouraged until the grasses are properly established. If you choose not to do this it will result in a constant bare and ugly scar on the roof. I recommend carrying the railing over at the top and bottoms ends which can be removed once plants are established. You will notice the dead and struggling plant material/ disrupted erosion blanket and dog feces.
3. Access and liability:
Martin had noticed that people use this as a main entrance. the sod will get worn over time and if we want to be proactive we can look at designing another seating wall? or alternative that fits with the building and encourages people to use the concrete paths. Martin also mentioned that the bikes are able to run down the side of the railing and we may want to discourage this as well for liability.
4. Biodiversity:
Look at the biodiversity already appearing on the roof!!!! I am researching to find out what exact species these are so we can document!
Other recommendations
-Seeding:
We may want to seed the on the ground landscape with the Blue Grama grass( bouteloua gracilis ) this winter as well as the struggling/ bare parts of the roof. This will get a more filled in look and make up for the slow start of the plants due to being planted in the extreme heat conditions.
Overall we are on the right track. It would be helpful to set a schedule for our February maintenance visit this month if possible. Karla and I are available the week of the 14th or the week of the 21st.
Thank You!
