Featured — Conservation of Orchids Through Creativity - North American Orchid Conservation Center

My assignment for the orchid show was to create the central display focused on orchid conservation. I contacted the North American Orchid Conservation Center for some brochures and discovered their orchid-gami project.

Paper models, such as these Chatterbox Orchids, are perfect for ikebana, the Japanese tradition of flower arrangement. The idea for my display began to take shape.

Photo © Carol Zakahi

I got to work building orchid-gami for the show!

Photo © Carol Zakahi

As the show approaches, my house is getting filled with orchid-gami!

Photo © Carol Zakahi

I am really looking forward to sharing orchid-gami with members of my club and the general public.

Photo © Carol Zakahi

Hawai'i has a long history of cultivating orchids but we only have three native species. The show is a great opportunity to introduce my fellow islanders to the variety of orchids that grow naturally on the mainland.

Photo © Carol Zakahi

The central display table of orchid-gami was complemented on either side by potted, living orchids. From across the room, it is hard to tell paper from petals!

Photo © Carol Zakahi

One gentleman made my day...after smelling each one, he finally came to realize that they were paper! In nature, these Rose Pogonias actually smell like raspberries.

Photo © Carol Zakahi

I sold this Water Spider arrangement after the show and received a request to build another one for a retirement home. They showed their appreciation by sending me a box of coveted Big Island Cookies - exclusive to the other side of the island!

Photo © Carol Zakahi

Chapman’s Fringed Orchid is an eye-catching tower of gold.

Photo © Carol Zakahi

Some of the orchids, such as these Ladies’ Tresses and Spotted Lady’s Slippers, weren’t available as punch-outs. I downloaded the pdf files from the NAOCC website and cut them out. More work but worth the effort!

Photo © Carol Zakahi

These Rattlesnake Plantains grow naturally in the forest in small patches or colonies.

Photo © Carol Zakahi

Historically, the Cigar Orchid was commercially exploited and over-collected almost to the point of extinction. Today, conservation efforts in Florida are underway to bring this beauty back.

After the show, I kept these Lady’s Slippers to decorate my house, but many of the displays went to neighbors and friends. My 8-year-old granddaughter insisted on taking home the Fairy Slipper. Was it the flower or this orchid’s name that captured her imagination?

Of course the Ghost Orchid was my favorite and now has a special place at home.

CAROL ZAKAHI, ORCHID-GAMIST EXTRAORDINAIRE

In this gallery, we invite you to explore the orchid-gami exhibit at Hawai'i's 36th Annual Kona Daifukuji Orchid Show. Carol Zakahi developed the show's central display based on the theme Conservation of Orchids Through Creativity. Her skill and artistry create an inspiring message on orchid conservation using the Japanese tradition of flower arrangement, ikebana (giving life to flowers).

The orchid-gami project was developed by the North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) and the United States Botanic Garden 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.

Carol Zakahi has a background in cosmetology and operated Carol’s Beauty Boutique on the Big Island for over 25 years. Now she’s enjoying retirement and converted part of the shop into a mini family museum, a special place to display her artwork and share memories with her 12 grandchildren. Although a recent convert to orchid-gami, Carol’s first love is lauhala, the traditional Hawai'ian art of weaving the leaves of the hala tree (Pandanus tectorius). Normally the patterns create useful items, such as hats, baskets and mats, but Carol has a different take on lauhala. She gifted us with two of her whimsical woven creations - Horny Hono, the turtle that promises long life and Kaeru, the good luck frog. Inspired by Hawai'ian folklore, these works of art have a warm, earthy feel. She is also a charter member and historian for the Kona Daifukuji Orchid Club. Her prized orchid, Vandopsis lissochiloides, is regularly displayed at club shows - an impressive specimen that grows up to eight feet tall with flower spikes to six feet. Carol even published an article on this orchid in the December issue of Orchids last year.

We hope Carol's virtual tour has made you curious to try orchid-gami. Click on the orchid-gami tab on the menu bar at the top of this page and download your favorite orchid. Then use your imagination to create your own orchid-gami display!

And to learn about the orchids native to Hawai'i or discover which orchids grow in your area, visit the Go Orchids website.

Featured — Conservation of Orchids Through Creativity

CAROL ZAKAHI, ORCHID-GAMIST EXTRAORDINAIRE

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