Native Seed Bank Project
A few years ago, I started volunteering for Free the Fern, a local charity dedicated to restoring the local ecology and promoting environmental stewardship in the Champlain Heights Trail System. This experience inspired my native seed vending project.
How could I educate local communities about the importance of planting native seeds? I had previously made a vending machine and knew I could easily adapt it to small boxes of seeds. Inside the box is a small envelope of seeds and an information card with the planting instructions and benefits. The design and printing are beautiful, so people want to keep the card. The boxes are reusable, but often the customers want to keep the boxes.
People love the novelty of using a vending machine and contributing something good to their community.
In 2025, I met Kaya Tripp, a young indigenous botanist and graphic design student. This friendship was the key to the success of the project. Kaya’s experience growing up on the Sechelt First Nation made her the perfect consultant.
We began with three plants. Yarrow, Stinging Nettle and Golden Rod. Kaya illustrated the plants and provided me with the copy for the information cards.
Some obstacles we overcame:
- The writing had to be concise due to a limited word count.
- I should have started earlier in the spring. Luckily, the seeds we used could be planted from spring to fall.
- Seeds are very tiny, and it was tricky getting them into the baggies.
- Printing costs had gone up, and I wasn’t able to print as many boxes as I originally wanted to.
- Finding a vending machine to paint and design.
Every time I brought the vending machine to an event, it was met with overwhelming enthusiasm. Art markets, Free the Fern invasive plant removal meetup and community BBQ.
My plan moving forward is to participate in Seedy Saturday 2027, keep working with Kaya to design more plant cards, and show up at community events. This project has been personally satisfying for me, being able to learn and educate residents about the importance of planting native species in our community.
Thank you for helping bring my idea to life.
Janet McDonald
