The North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) and the United States Botanic Garden have developed the orchid-gami project as a fun activity to raise awareness about the conservation and ecology of our native orchids. These 3D models are a unique way for teachers, parents and children to learn about our native orchids and the challenges they face.
Designed for NAOCC by Maarten Janssens, a.k.a. the 3eyedbear, orchid-gami made its international debut at the Kunstsommer Arts Festival in Germany. Here in North America, organizations have already discovered orchid-gami, finding innovative ways to include orchid-gami in the conversation about orchid conservation:
- The Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum included orchid-gami as part of their OrKid Family Day, giving young visitors the chance to create their own works of art.
- To celebrate “Read Across America Day,” students at the Mater Grove Academy built the Ghost Orchid as part of their class project on Florida’s Everglades.
- Graduate students at the University of Wisconsin super-sized the models and included orchid-gami at the University’s Darwin Day celebration.
Now we invite you to try orchid-gami! Here are some simple instructions to get you started. Click on an orchid thumbnail to download the pdf file, then print, cut and fold! Some of the models are easy and others are challenging and require a bit of tape or glue. Design a windowsill garden to enjoy year-round. Discover how flower shape and color attract pollinators, then explore the Go Orchids website to learn more about our native orchids.
Skip the Scissors! To make it easier to enjoy the orchid-gami experience, we are creating the orchids as punch-outs on cardstock.
