Biomimcry: Innovation Inspired by Nature

by Janine M. Benyus

The modern world offers us many problems: feeding a large population, energy shortages, and health care inadequacies to name a few. While professionals in each of these disciplines work towards finding the solutions to many of these seemingly impossible-to-solve problems, Janine Benyus challenges us all to take a look from a new perspective: nature’s. Benyus argues that many of the problems that we find ourselves with are because we managed to totally disconnect ourselves from the natural order of the rest of the planet, and that the solutions are right in front of our faces in the natural world.

Biomimics are everywhere, according to Benyus, working within a variety of fields to examine natural processes and nature’s designs and use these as the basis for our own. As Benyus puts it, nature has been working for millions of years and has managed to solve some of the problems that we struggle with everyday.

Tackling concepts such as agriculture, harnessing the sun’s energy, and using plants as medicinal healers, Benyus gives the reader lots to ponder. She offers dozens of ideas and projects that are underway by biomimics worldwide as proof that some of our problems are solvable, if only we look to nature for the solutions. One is left to wonder why the biomimcs movement is not larger than it actually is, not only because it is exciting and creative, but mostly because it seems to make so much sense.

This book will be discussed at Nature’s Narratives Book Discussion Group on December 13 from 5 to 6 pm. Please register to join us for the discussion and check out the other must-reads as part of this group!