A good introduction to the idea of biomimicry starts with defining the word in a few simple sentences:

“Biomimicry comes from joining two Greek words, bios, which means “life,” and mimesis, which mean “to imitate.” Biomimicry is an approach to design and technology in which inventors look to nature and the living world around us to develop innovative ideas.

In order to further explain this idea, provide students with examples of biomimicry: create a presentation, show them videos, and/or direct them to websites that show examples of biomimicry in action.

Pick examples to which students can relate. What’s familiar to them? What do they care about?

Include diverse examples that demonstrate how biomimicry is used in a wide range of applications. Biomimicry has been applied in challenges from automative engineering to agriculture, health, architecture, fashion design, cosmetics, sports, and much more.

Biomimicry Institute website: Biomimicry Examples

AskNature: Innovations - The Innovations ("Inspired Ideas") section of the AskNature site catalogs the stories behind realized and conceptual products, services, and systems that have been inspired by living things.

Biomimicry Institute: Sharing Biomimicry with Young People - An orientation to biomimicry for K-12 educators, describing the what and why of biomimicry with teaching suggestions for several core concepts. The document is available to download from AskNature.

AskNature: Resources - A diverse library of resources for teaching and learning about biomimicry. The collection can be filtered by resource type and audience.

VIDEOS

Vox and 99% Invisible: “The world is poorly designed. But copying natures helps.” (2017) - This six-minute video introduces biomimicry, the application of biomimicry at different scales, and connections to the circular economy.

Fast Company & Earth Sky: What is Biomimicry? (2011) - In this two-minute video, author and biomimicry pioneer Janine Benyus provides a succinct description of biomimicry.

TED Talks: Michael Pawlyn - Using nature’s genius in architecture (2010) - Michael Pawlyn describes three habits of nature that could transform architecture and society: radical resource efficiency, closed loops, and drawing energy from the sun.

TED Talks: Janine Benyus - Biomimicry’s surprising lessons from nature’s engineers (2005) - The founder of the Biomimicry Institute discusses developments in nature-inspired innovation.

OTHER RESOURCES

AskNature - AskNature is the Biomimicry Institute's online library of information about biomimicry, including biological strategies, nature-inspired ideas, and resources for learning about the discipline.

A Biomimicry Primer, by Janine Benyus - An essay describing biomimicry and the discipline's place in sustainable design. It is available to download from AskNature.