Created two years ago by sophomore Devon Maloney, Green Roof Initiative FCPS is a student-run organization that promotes eco-friendly aspects of school buildings. As several schools throughout Fairfax Country prepare for renovations, Green Roof aims to create awareness primarily by promoting green roofs.
?A green roof is basically plant life on the roof of a structure,? sophomore member and manager Andrew Crider said. ?Green roofs can drastically improve the energy efficiency of a building and reduce the urban heat island effect.?
?By having green roofs, schools can help give back the plants that they killed in the process of making the school,? Langley sophomore Kushali Marwaha said. ?Schools will also benefit from having green roofs because they won?t have to pay as much for heating and cooling.?
While the group is small, consisting of Maloney, Crider, Marwaha and Langley sophomore Brittany Tholan, it has made significant progress since its creation. The group has approval from Marshall to build a 20 ft. by 20 ft. section of green roof when it undergoes renovations.
?We have spoken to architects and renovation officials for the county and they are willing to use Marshall as a ?test school,?? Marwaha said.
Though the green roof was approved by school officials, the group feels that a mere 400 square feet is not enough. As a result, it created a fundraiser in an effort to buy more square feet.
However, small size or not, if everything goes as planned at Marshall, Langley High School will get one when it is renovated, and from there the group hopes that buildings across the county will adopt the idea of green roofs.