Living greenwall to be installed in UW-River Falls classroom

September 8, 2014 --The University of Wisconsin-River Falls has been awarded a grant from the National Foliage Foundation to install a greenwall of foliage plants in one of the classrooms in the Agricultural Science building on campus. Living vertical greenwall systems are a relatively recent development. Because the systems are clean and have a self-sustaining automated irrigation system, they offer an opportunity to integrate green plants in places with limited space such as classrooms. 

Horticulture Professor Terry Ferriss, psychology Professor Travis Tubre, and David Trechter, professor of agricultural economics and director of the UWRF Survey Research Center collaborated on this proposal.  

The group will test for empirical evidence that the presence of a greenwall benefits students and instructors in an academic setting. Undergraduates will be involved in multiple aspects of the project including wall design and installation, survey development and implementation, and data analysis.  

McCaren Designs of Minneapolis is providing the wall panel system at a discount and will work with students to develop a plant design that will be successful at the classroom site. Additional support for the project is being provided by the Green Plants for Green Building Association and the UWRF College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. 

It is anticipated that the greenwall system will be installed in January 2015, during the semester break on campus. 

For more information, contact Laura Walsh at 715-425-3535 or email laura.walsh@uwrf.edu.