- Dayna Baumeister Co-founder and Keystone of Biomimicry 3.8
There’s no waste in nature. It seems as though everything has a purpose, even in death. The decaying leaf fortifies the soil of the forest floor. The left-over carcass of a predator’s kill sustains the carrion-eaters that come after. It’s zero waste reality in action. But, nature’s best lessons may be the adaptations and strategies we see in life. That’s the rationale behind the idea of biomimicry and Dayna Baumeister‘s presentation at the 2014 Zero Waste Conference, September 16th at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.
Baumeister is a co-founder of Biomimicry3.8, a social enterprise that trains, certifies, and connects biomimicry professionals worldwide. She has helped more than 100 companies consult the natural world for elegant and sustainable design solutions, including Nike, Interface, General Mills, Boeing, Herman-Miller, Kohler, Seventh Generation and Procter & Gamble. AT ZWC 2014 she will speak on the topic of re-designing products and systems design from a biomimicry perspective.
Biomimicry3.8 is already fostering creative solutions to some challenging design problems. The 2013/2014 edition of the Biomimicry Student Design Challenge saw more than 100 student teams submit nature-inspired transportation concepts. They tackled a diverse array of issues; from the problem of invasive species in ship’s ballast water, to improved bicycle safety -Â inspired by whiskers and bioluminescent aquatic organisms.
What can nature teach us in our shift towards zero waste? Find out at the 2014 Zero Waste Conference. Dayna Baumeister will be the featured speaker for Innovation in Design – the first session of the conference, immediately following the keynote address by Jeremy Rifkin.
Did You Know?
Velcro may be one of the best known examples of biomimicry. When Swiss engineer George de Mestral came home from a hunting trip in the Alps, he took a closer look at the burrs sticking to his clothes and his dog. The burrs’ microscopic hooks sparked an idea for reusable fabric fasteners. Today Velcro is commonplace and de Mestral is a member of the Inventor’s Hall of Fame.
Register Now for Zero Waste Conference 2014
Additional Resources:
Ask Nature
This curated online library courtesy of Biomimicry3.8 features free information on natural phenomena and bio-inspired applications tailored to meet the needs of the people who invent our world.
http://www.asknature.org
How Biomimicry is Inspiring Human Innovation
Creative minds are increasingly turning to nature—banyan tree leaves, butterfly wings, a bird’s beak—for fresh design solutions
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-biomimicry-is-inspiring-human-innovation-17924040/#sLsLOXtiQE7lIlPk.99
14 Smart Inventions Inspired by Nature: Biomimicry
When if comes to finding solutions to design problems, sometimes nature already has the answer.
http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2013-08-18/14-smart-inventions-inspired-by-nature-biomimicry.html#slide1
Biomimicry Student Design Challenge
A Canadian team from McGill University had one of the winning ideas in this competition, which included over a hundred innovative entries inspired by nature.
https://www.biomimicrydesignchallenge.com
Learning a ton from these neat artsclei.