Educators Using Biomimicry to Teach Nature-Based Problem Solving
Biomimicry asks a simple question: How would nature do it? Educators are drawing from this emerging field to engage young people in the STEAM fields through real-life connections. Biomimicry can help students find unique solutions inspired by the wisdom of nature: an essential skill for redesigning a more sustainable society.
In December 2019, CAELI members, Orange County Office of Education’s Inside the Outdoors and Ten Strands partnered with the Biomimicry Institute and Bioneers to provide professional development training for educators wanting to bring biomimicry lessons into their classrooms. This short film provides a behind-the-scenes look at the experiences of the teachers and leaders involved.
Participants got first-hand experience with the framework for biomimicry education, which empowers the next generation to build a better future simply by looking at the world around them. These lessons are contextualized by the work of engineers and artists who use this mindset to model solutions for water repellent surfaces after the lotus, non-toxic structural colors after the wings of butterflies, and so much more. Biomimicry calls on the imagination, making it a powerful component of environmental literacy. That’s why our network is dedicated to spreading its impact throughout California’s K–12 schools.
