Buzzing is now a constant sound at the Dunwoody Nature Center building as colorful flowers bloom above visitors’ heads.
The nature center at 5343 Roberts Drive completed a green roof on top of its eco-classroom building this spring to help birds, bees and other pollinators and to provide environmental education for the community.
Native flowers were planted on the building for the pollinators to enjoy. The roof was designed and installed by Mary Ann Uhlmann of Urban Horticulture Consulting.
“There is no greater joy for me than to be on a roof and see butterflies, bees and birds,” Uhlmann said in a press release about the green roof. “It allows me to see nature being brought back to urban and suburban areas.”
Inside the nature center, children learn about these animals and other aspects of nature and sustainability through the nature center’s summer camps.
The building itself was built using two repurposed shipping containers, according to the press release. The flat roof and strong, metal exterior allows it to support the green roof, which helps insulate the temperature in the building and allows for rainwater absorption.
“The building was designed to educate by itself with the added benefit of allowing us to teach within it,” Executive Director Michael Cowan said in the release.
The nature center’s mission is to educate residents and visitors about nature and motivate them to support conservation efforts, according to its website. The nature center and city have a public-private partnership.
