Biomimicry – A conversation with Janine Benyus

Posted: September 26, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Biomimicry Methodology, Research Resources | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

Janine Benyus at TEDGlobal 2009, Session 4: "Nature's challenge," July 22, 2009, in Oxford, UK. Credit: TED / James Duncan Davidson

For anyone beginning to explore biomimicry, or wanting to introduce it to new audiences, there is a superb resource online that is often buried below the glamour of TED talks. The new academic year means introducing biomimicry to fresh minds, so I thought I would start sharing the resources I use to do this.

A conversation with Janine Benyus

There is no replacement for reading the seminal text of Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature, but there is an excellent introductory overview that Janine posted on the website, that I designed, many moons ago. We use this as the first hand out in class to get all the students up to speed. It touches on all the big topics, such as;

  • Introduction to biomimicry, what is it, where it came from
  • Why biomimicry is critical for humanity now
  • The future of agriculture, farming like a prairie
  • The future of business, shifting our “niche”
  • Case studies for further research
This overview was written almost a decade ago, and is still the best entry point into the topic of biomimicry.

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