“I thought about the beautiful symbol of the poppy and wondered how can we make that more sustainable?”
Wendy Sperry, a professor at Fanshawe College’s School of Design program, worked with two co-op students over the summer to develop sustainable poppies made from seed paper.
“I thought wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could make it out of seed paper?” says Sperry. “Then we also thought it would be really great if we could make it an educational initiative.”
Through a collaboration with the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), Montessori Academy of London, and the Royal Canadian Legion, these poppies are being sent to various schools across the city.
Arriving in the form of classroom kits, it contains supplies, a lesson plan with step-by-step instructions and a presentation focused on the history of the poppy. Each classroom will then try to find a community partner where they can plant their poppies.
“I’ve always been interested in sustainable things,” says Hannah Choi, one of Sperry’s co-op students who helped design the new environmentally friendly poppy.
Originally from South Korea, Choi says her experience has been worthwhile.
Image from Fanshawe College – The Poppy Project
“We tried a lot of seed papers, and finally, we got a formula on how to make the proper seed paper with psyllium powder. It was the most amazing experience I have ever had in Canada.”
The Poppy Project received a $5,000 donation from Lending Community Foundation in order to help Sperry and her students turn their innovative idea into a reality. But the support didn’t stop there.
The Ontario Seed Foundation donated Oriental poppy seeds for the project, a species that is safe for Canadian gardens. Packaging stamps were also donated to Sperry and her team from Sterling Marketing Products. The Innovation Village, the military connected college, and the design school at Fanshawe then helped to put the packages all together.
“The package was even designed by a graduate from Fanshawe,” says Sperry. “It’s just been received so well and [we’ve gotten] really lovely feedback from the schools, so it’s been a very positive experience.”
“Story of the poppy” display in Fanshawe College (AMY SIMON/XFM NEWS)
“As a veteran myself, I can say that this project is beautiful,” says Maxine Strybos, military-connected student ambassador at Fanshawe. “It’s really amazing that Fanshawe is taking these steps to become a military community campus and has continued to grow those initiatives throughout the college. It’s incredible that a design school has gone this far to make such a beautiful display and, keep in mind, an environmentally friendly alternative to the poppy this year.”
Sperry hopes that come spring, these poppies will bloom for years to come, and be a long-lasting tribute of gratitude to our veterans.
“I hope people who work on this project have been inspired with a fresh appreciation for the poppy and its history. May the seed paper poppy projects spread hope and help us remember and honor the men and women who’ve passed and made such a great sacrifice.”
Click to learn more about The Poppy Project.
