Two years ago, I received an email from a customer. He wanted to know why our seed paper products didn't grow native species and why we were wasting this opportunity to do good with native seeds. (FYI, Botanical PaperWorks produces seed paper that grows into flowers, herbs and vegetables when you plant the paper)
I didn't know much about native seeds so I called him up on the phone. Jim and I had a long conversation where he talked about the disappearing honey bee, the struggling Monarch butterfly and how native species are key to helping these important insects survive. As I listened, I got inspired. We could use our seed paper to help establish more of these endangered habitats and really make a difference for our planet!
I met with my product development team and gave them a challenge - develop a seed paper for every region in North America. Easier said than done. We embarked on an extensive R&D process to find native seeds that are available in plentiful supply, ones that work with our papermaking process and ones that meet our conservation standards.
We couldn't have done it on our own - to develop the standards, we relied on expertise from Dr Vernon Peters, conservation biologist and professor of biology at Kings University in Edmonton. He helped us select seeds that are wildlife-friendly for the recommended region.
Last month at the PPPC National Convention, we launched our Native Seed Paper Promotional Products line. And now we're producing native seed paper along with our existing wildflower seed blend, and our herb and vegetable papers.
Thank you Jim for challenging Botanical PaperWorks to develop Native Seed Paper. We're partnering together with our customers to spread native species and help our planet.
