VU Student Floor Langerwerf thinks it’s a shame that the garden on the rooftop terrace of the main building is not getting enough attention. She decided to take action.
The university describes the roof garden as a wonderful green oasis. But at the moment, much of the garden is turning yellow and brown from all the withering plants. Langerwerf wants to change that and decided to organize an event, facilitated by Life is Better in 3D. Roughly ten students withstood last Monday’s beaming sun and gathered on the roof for a gardening session.
The importance of plants
Langerwerf, who isn’t a member of any VU organization, wants the garden to consistently get more attention. She also sees it as a way to raise awareness: “The core of climate change has to do with the fact that we don’t sufficiently understand how important plants are.”
An organizer of 3D already said that in light of the good turnout, Life is better in 3D will be hosting more gardening sessions on the roof: probably twice a month. Meanwhile, a group chat for the roof garden already has forty members.
Worm hotel
The garden can be made more fertile by using soil from the worm hotel on the same rooftop. According to Langerwerf, coffee drinkers on campus are already contributing to the worm hotel with the coffee grounds from the machines. However, the hotel isn’t receiving enough fruit and vegetable waste. “I think mostly because people simply don’t know about it”, explains Langerwerf. For instructions there is a QR code on the worm hotel.