Biomimicry
Biomimicry is a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges—and find hope.
“Bio”= The study of life
“Mimic” = Imitation
Look to Nature for design principles
Nature uses only the energy it needs and relies on freely available energy.
Nature recycles all materials.
Nature is resilient to disturbances.
Nature tends to optimise rather than maximise.
Nature provides mutual benefits.
Nature runs on information.
Nature uses chemistry and materials that are safe for living beings.
Nature builds using abundant resources, incorporating rare resources only sparingly.
Nature is locally attuned and responsive. Nature uses shape to determine functionality.
Biomimicry is learning from nature not just about nature.
Biomimicry is about mimicking forms, processes, or whole systems from nature.
“Ko ahau te taiao, ko te taiao, ko ahau”
The ecosystem is my quality of life.
– Ngāti Wai and Ngāti Whatua
Our world is composed of systems—from ecosystems in nature to organisations and technologies in human society. Learning to see, understand, and think in systems is important because many of the biggest challenges facing our world today are the product of system failures and require a systems view to solve.
What is a system?
As Buckminster Fuller famously observed, a system is greater than the sum of its parts. What makes it greater are the interactions and relationships between those parts. Systems thinking educator Linda Booth Sweeney provides a helpful framework for thinking about this, making a distinction between a “system” —where the whole has properties the parts don’t— and a “heap,” or collection of things which has no higher function.
A Māori view of ecosystems is aligned with Biomimicry
An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities, and the non-living environment interacting as a functional unit. Māori see themselves as a part of ecosystems rather than separated from ecosystems. To achieve well-being humans require basic materials, health, good social relations, security, and freedom of choice and action. The strength of this interdependency between humans and ecosystems may be conceptualised as a reciprocal relationship comprising manaaki whenua (caring for the land) and manaaki tangata (caring for people).
The term ‘Te Ao Marama’, based on whakapapa, means ‘a world of light and opening, and symbolises a rich diversity of life, resources, and biodiversity’ and ‘richness of life’ (Harmsworth 2004). To solve complex world problems, the Te Ao Pākehā and international view of the world is becoming increasingly holistic recognising what indigenous thinking has always known. In fact, we are seeing a re-alignment between indigenous and non-indigenous thinking in many places around the globe including Aotearoa NZ.
To find out more about Biomimicry go to: biomimicry.org
