The minds behind the Sky Garden: CivE graduate students Kyla Smith, Sarah Wilson and Heather Wray.
Urbanites have become more conscious and proactive about the environmental effects of food transportation, production and security.
As a result, more and more folks are looking for sustainable solutions for the future by turning to locally grown and produced foods. Many are even throwing on the old overalls.
But with space in Toronto at such a premium, where can you find a place to plant? Try looking up. Way up. If you’re on campus in the heart of U of T Engineering, you just might spot a leafy green or two.
Tucked under the clouds atop the conjoining rooftops of the Galbraith and Sanford Fleming buildings is the Sky Garden.
The first of its kind on Canadian university rooftops, Sky Garden is an urban agriculture initiative by CivE graduate students Kyla Smith, Sarah Wilson and PhD candidate Heather Wray of the Civil Engineering Drink Water Research Group.
According to Wray and Smith, not only is the garden an excellent means to engage students and faculty alike, she hopes it will also inspire Engineers to look at rooftops in a more socially beneficial way, “A project like the Sky Garden is a great way to showcase alternative uses for rooftop spaces. The design for this project had to incorporate an existing rooftop, taking into consideration roof membrane protection and load-bearing requirements. By recognizing rooftops as potential spaces for urban agriculture, new buildings could be designed to support more intensive gardens.”
“This is a perfect example of how civil engineers can expand the use of urban infrastructure to improve our communities. What a wonderful idea for urban sustainability,” said Brenda McCabe, Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering.
Launched to bountiful success last summer as a pilot project, Sky Garden has tripled in size in its second year to a surface area of 75 sq. m., with 113 semi-hydroponic, dual-compartment containers that house a variety of plants including tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant, zucchini, beans and more. Growing to great new heights, it promises to be Toronto’s most productive rooftop garden.
We spoke to the graduate students to learn more about their Sky Garden project and here is what they had to say:
Where did the idea for Sky Garden originate?
As new graduate students at the University of Toronto, the three of us [Kyla, Sarah and Heather] discovered a mutual interest in urban gardening. This led to the idea of starting a rooftop garden on campus.
Who is involved?
The Sky Garden team consists of a few main organizers, who oversee and coordinate garden activities, and several hard-working and dedicated volunteers that help maintain the garden. Volunteers are university staff and students (graduate and undergraduate).
How did the project get started?
We wrote a project proposal that we presented to Professor Brenda McCabe (CivE) as well as Dean Cristina Amon. They were both extremely supportive and ultimately helped us secure the garden site atop the Galbraith Building as well as a water source. Paul Ruppert (formerly the Director of Strategic Research Systems for CivE and currently U of T’s Director of Integrated Client Services) and Manuel DaCosta (Building Manager for the Galbraith Building) were also instrumental in helping us gain access to the space.
What are you using to make Sky Garden?
We are using unique semi-hydroponic containers made by a Canadian company called Biotop. They are lightweight so they are ideal for rooftop gardening. In theory, anyone could build their own provided that their rooftop is structurally sound and meets the loading requirements for the extra weight of a garden. Several types of containers could be used, including nursery pots, old buckets or something more advanced, like the Biotop containers. The only thing you need to start a garden like this is a safe rooftop space with appropriate access, and a nearby water source or rain barrel.
How is rooftop gardening different from conventional gardening?
The biggest difference between Sky Garden and a conventional backyard garden or soil plot is that the Sky Garden is all container gardening. Soil mixes used are different between container and conventional gardening, as you don’t want your container soil to be too dense or compacted. In addition, container plants might require more nutrients. Depending on the rooftop space, sun and wind exposure can vary in intensity, much as it would between conventional garden plots.
What are your plans for the yield?
The produce will be divided between the volunteers, the campus food bank and the Hot Yam!, a student-run vegan cafe.
