Up! In the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a Plane! It’s an Ecoroof!!!

While the Portland State University students like to call the 4th story terrace of the Urban Center, which they’re outfitting with an Ecoroof and all sorts of other eco-productive materials, the “Look Up And See Green” project, we say it’s more along the lines of…PROGRESS.

Progress looks something like 19-year-olds thinking about the future, learning and investing in initiatives that will leave the earth in better shape than it was when they came into it. It’s present when universities and businesses and governments start listening to these young voices and acting on their ideas. Progress is sweeping the nation in a wave of green and our beautiful Rose City is at the forefront of the movement.

It doesn’t hurt that Portland’s leadership has jumped on the Ecoroof train with gusto–as evidenced by the Ecoroof Vendors Fair that was organized and held by Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) this last Saturday. With 35 local experts of all persuasions (landscapers, contractors, roofers, architects, suppliers, non-profits, etc.) and hundreds of attendees present, Ecoroof was a smashing success. Don’t be surprised when you start seeing Ecoroofs popping up on your neighbor’s house, their chicken coop or highrises downtown. The vendors at Ecoroof proved just how cost effective a living roof can be–and how affordable it is to implement, especially if you win a grant from Portland BES.

Case-In-Point: Local architect John Wright did a live installation of an Ecoroof on a chicken coop from Moderncoop.com. It took less than 2 hours to outfit the coop and only cost about $50 (not including the cost of the actual chicken coop) if you factor in a BES grant–which are available to businesses and homeowners alike (Application deadline: June 1, 2009). We even met a gentleman at Ecoroof who had just won two grants:  One for his home’s garage and one for a commercial property he was building as a developer. He said the process is pretty simple and almost anyone is eligible to receive one. We were lucky to have quite a few home/business owners on-hand to share their Ecoroof experiences. From Tom Lipton, builder of the first Ecoroof in Portland, to Greg Haines, the organizer behind the Hawthorne Hostel Ecoroof movement, and Johnette Orpinela, the proud owner of an Ecoroof on a very pitched roof (it IS possible!)–we heard story after story about the endless possibilities of Ecoroofs and the creative ways to bring one to your home or business.

Ecoroof Vendor Fair 2009

We had to include some photos from the day, because it was all rather inspiring–though we’re a little bummed out that the Ecoroof chicken coop didn’t come home with us. Luckily, we now know how to build one of our own, who to call on for all our supplies and planning needs and how to apply for a grant to lower our out-of-pocket costs. Score one for eco-crusaders everywhere!