Green Buckeyes Sustainability Scavenger Hunt: Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens

June 30, 2016

Covering over 60 acres of land on Ohio State’s campus, Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens is home to six different gardens on West Campus, as well as a large arboretum northwest of the Schottenstein Center. These gardens are free to visit or relax in, and tours are offered year round. Resources are also available for self-guided tours. Each plant is labeled with its common and scientific name and QR codes that can be scanned for more information.

One of Chadwick’s many features includes a green roof on top of Howlett Hall. This vegetated roof saves energy by cooling the air in summer months, prevents 191,196 gallons of runoff from reaching the Olentangy River annually, saves money by lowering energy costs for cooling and lengthening the lifespan of the roof, and provides a learning opportunity for students.

The Howlett Hall Green Roof began as an initiative of Megan Welsh while she was an undergraduate at Ohio State, and was completed in the fall of 2013 after being planted in less than a month due to a strong volunteer effort. Megan is now the owner of the firm Higher Ground Green Roofs, LLC.  The green roof at Howlett Hall also includes a vertical garden and a beehive.  The vertical garden was designed by engineering students.  This project was funded by a Coca-Cola student sustainability grant administered by the Office of Student Life.   The beehive connects to a lab below, where students study the bees. The green roof serves as a shining example of student ingenuity at Ohio State.