The “Pollinator Pathway Origami Curtain Sculpture” made its debut on Earth Day, April 22, on the Redding Town Green. People visited by car and foot, respecting social distancing measures.
Alice Smith and the Earth Day committee for the town of Redding gathered and discussed ideas about how to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day long before anyone could ever have imagined how people would need to isolate and ride out COVID-19.
They recognized that getting people to physically participate in the preparation and celebration of Earth Day can be a challenge under the best of circumstances, given its proximity to spring vacation, spring sports and other competing activities. This year they chose to include a solitary activity — with friends and family — that could be completed at home, before the event, one that calls attention to or has environmental impact and is fun.
It couldn’t have been more suited to the times. Community artists contributed origami creations with instructions Smith supplied, and she used them to assemble the colorful curtain that graced the green. You can find out more and see the instructions here.
The challenge was to make sure all the elements employed have another use or are sustainable and recyclable. For the foundation, they chose highway signposts and ran string through them for the curtains to hang on. The signposts are stable and can be reused once the project is completed.
Paper folded into origami flowers and pollinators is the content for the curtain panels. Natural cotton string connected the curtain panels and secured the structure to rods for the “curtain panels” to hang on. Having completed their mission, origami creations will be re-used to make seed paper.
Smith hopes the project will catch on and become an annual tradition. Next year she would like to engage people of all ages from Easton and the region to join in the fun.
