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BUGA Fibre Pavilion: Glimpse of Future Construction

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BUGA Fibre Pavilion: Glimpse of Future Construction

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Load-bearing Structures Inspired by Biological Fibres (cellulose, chitin or collagen).

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Designed by Nature ONLINE Program Design Challenge Lesson Plan

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Designed by Nature ONLINE Program Design Challenge Lesson Plan

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Teachers can use this resource to guide them through running a Biomimicry design challenge in their classroom!

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The first and only biomimicry podcast globally.

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Hear from experts from around the world who have applied the Biomimicry design process in their professional disciplines and how we can learn from the natural world.

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Share your designs and ideas in the Designed by Nature Hub!

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Share your designs and ideas in the Designed by Nature Hub!

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Designed by Nature Design Challenge Template

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Designed by Nature Design Challenge Template

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Students and teachers who participate in a Designed by Nature program use this design template.

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Ants Are Amazing Innovators. This article includes a video where humans are pitted against ants to maneuver a T-shaped object (relative to body size) through a narrow passageway.

Your students might like to design something inspired by ants!

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Think back to a time you helped someone move a heavy object, such as a couch. While at first the task may have appeared simple, it actually required a suite of advanced behaviours.

The job needed verbal commands for social coordination ("pivot!") and anticipation of near-future events (moving other furniture out of the way). It also required a clear, shared vision of the final goal (which room to take the couch to).

It's a small but satisfying example of human cooperation. But before we all get too pleased with ourselves, consider that ants - creatures with tiny brains and no capacity for speech - routinely pull off feats that rival, and sometimes exceed, our own.

Understanding ant intelligence

Earth is literally crawling with ants. Scientists estimate there are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth. That's 20 followed by 15 zeros - more ants than stars in our galaxy!

These incredible insects are amongst the most successful organisms on the planet. Part of the success comes from an ability to form complex societies, ranging from a few individuals to millions. And those societies, or colonies, are remarkably co-operative.

Take, for example, ants' abilities to move large food items. To do it, they mobilise teams of dozens - or even hundreds - of fellow workers. Together, they efficiently work together to transport the load back to the nest.

Longhorn crazy ants ( Paratrechina longicornis) are even known to clear debris from a path before a heavy object arrives - seemingly anticipating its trajectory and preparing the way.

One experiment pit longhorn crazy ants against humans, all tasked with moving T-shaped objects (scaled to body size) through tight spaces. In some trials, the human teams were not permitted to speak or use gestures.

And the result? Ants performed better in larger groups compared to smaller ones, showing the clear benefits of collective action. In contrast, human performance did not improve with group size. And when communication was restricted, human performance declined as group size increased.

All this highlights how ants rely on collective intelligence, without the need for central control or sophisticated cognition.

Expert farmers

Humanity's invention of agriculture 12,000 years ago is understandably hailed as one of our greatest achievements.

But leaf cutter ants beat us to it. These ants (from the species Atta and Acromyrmex) evolved to undertake large-scale agriculture about 55 million years ago.

These ants cut and transport fresh leaves not to eat directly, but to feed a fungus that serves as their main food source.

This evolutionary partnership allows the ants to feed colonies with populations in the millions.

Remarkably, leaf cutter ants have also evolved a form of biological pest control to protect their crops from bacteria. Some worker ants patrol the gardens, detecting infected sections of the fungus. Then they apply antibiotics produced by bacteria that live on their bodies.

What's more, many ant species farm aphids and other sap-sucking insects.

As these farmed insects feed on plant sap, they excrete a sugary liquid the ants eagerly collect. In return, ants serve as bodyguards, defending their tiny livestock from predators such as ladybirds and lacewings.

In some species, queen ants gently carry sap-sucking insects in their jaws as they fly off to start new colonies. Fossilised ants preserved in amber suggest this behaviour evolved up to 20 million years ago, long before humans domesticated animals.

Ant medicine

Medical care may seem like a distinctly human innovation. But several ant species have evolved sophisticated ways to treat injuries.

When a Florida carpenter ant ( Camponotus floridanus) is injured during a battle between colonies, its nest-mates will amputate a damaged limb to prevent infection from spreading. Ants receiving this battlefield care are more likely to survive than ants left untreated.

Some ants can also detect infection and treat infected wounds by cleaning them and applying antimicrobial secretions from specialised glands.

Master builders

Some ant species are known to literally put their bodies on the line for the colony.

Army ants ( Eciton burchellii) join their bodies together to form structures. These include bridges across gaps on the forest floor, and "scaffolds" across steep terrain to prevent other ants from slipping.

Even the nest is made of hundreds of thousands of ants joined together, complete with tunnels and chambers housing the larvae and the queen. The entire structure is packed up and rebuilt each day, after the colony emigrates a few hundred metres into the forest.

Weaver ants ( Oecophylla smaragdina), meanwhile, self-assemble into rope ladders to span vertical gaps.

They also form a line of workers that pull leaves together in treetops to form nests. Once the leaves are winched into place, other ants arrive with ant larvae in their jaws. Each larva produces a tiny blob of silk which the ants use to glue the leaves together.

Fire ants ( Solenopsis invicta), a major pest species, owes its invasive success partly to a unique method of dispersal.

When their underground nests are flooded by rain, the ants join together into a huge raft which floats on a layer of buoyant larvae. These rafts can ride floodwaters in safety for hundreds of kilometres, until the ants reach dry land.

Lessons for humanity?

Humans rightly take pride in our greatest achievements - agriculture, medicine, engineering and building civilisations. But remarkably, ants mastered these innovations millions of years before we did.

Ants may be tiny - but by working together they can build complex societies and solve many problems. They might even teach humans a thing or two.

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Hold up, humans. Ants figured out medicine, farming and engineering long before we did

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Ants may be tiny - but by working together they build complex societies and solve many problems. They might even teach humans a thing or two?

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Learn Biomimicry have listed their 10 favourite examples of Biomimicry in this informative video. Include examples of innovations that mimic nature's forms and processes.

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Learn Biomimicry offer a free eBook which will introduce teachers to the topic in one quick read.

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Start your learning today

If you're ready, you can also dive into the Biomimicry Short Course set for more in-depth learning. Gain a solid understanding of how biomimicry can be applied, and get a certificate endorsed by the Biomimicry Institute.

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Download a free ebook that covers the best of biomimicry. Here, we provide summarised versions of key concepts with resources for further learning.

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Xanthorrhoea species (Gulgadya (Cadigal), Grass Tree)

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Discover how Grasstrees survive fire and more in this 2.5-minute video from our friends at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney.

How can the unique adaptations of the Grand Elder of the Australian landscape, the Grasstree inspire innovation?

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Xanthorrhoea species (Gulgadya (Cadigal), Grass Tree)

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Mistletoe has some unique adaptations that may inspire your students' designs. Learn about some of them by watching this 6.5-minute video from Gardening Australia.

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Be inspired by the amazing adaptations of Ferns in this 3-minute video from Naturalisms.

Can Ferns inspire a Biomimetic design?

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In this video we hear about why biomimicry is an important design practice for a sustainable future from Janine Benyus.

Janine Benyus is a biologist who coined the term 'biomimicry' and introduced the modern world to the idea of innovation inspired by nature. Here is a link to more information about all the amazing work she has done. Janine Benyus - Biomimicry 3.8

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Watch: The Innovators Using Nature's Design Principles to Create Green Tech 

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Watch: The Innovators Using Nature's Design Principles to Create Green Tech 

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The Innovators Using Nature's Design Principles to Create Green Tech

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A garden isn't just filled with plants - it is filled with ideas! Hear from Biomimicry practitioners from a range of industries in this 20-minute documentary.

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A garden isn’t just a garden filled with plants – it is a garden of ideas. Whether a developer, designer, innovator, or just plain interested, botanical gardens can offer secrets that are beyond their edible, aromatic, and medicinal properties.

In this exploration of nature, TEALEAVES explores how botanical gardens and the “secrets” they house can inspire different innovators from tea blenders, designers, academics and more to build lasting impact on people, society and the environment.

With this knowledge, it is our hope to generate awareness for and curb future decisions that may harmfully impact our planet and our well-being.

To continue the exploration: thegardenofsecrets.com

To donate to UBC Botanical Garden: http://new.thegardenofsecrets.com/

For more from us head to: www.tealeaves.com

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Botanic Gardens act as libraries for learning from the natural world! We invite you to explore one of our beautiful botanic gardens (Melbourne Gardens or Cranbourne Gardens) or your local botanic garden to discover how nature can inspire you.

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How Botanical Gardens Lead to Innovations

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We recommend showing this video to your students before your program for an overview of what biomimicry is and why botanic gardens are perfect places in which to learn this design approach.

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Biomimicry with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

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Session 2: Who Invented Velcro animated (Short video) 

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There are two different ways we can start practising Biomimicry.  

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Starting your design process with a problem? Learn how to translate a problem into an 'ask nature' question.

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Starting your design process with a problem? Learn how to translate a problem into an 'ask nature' question.

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Sometimes we begin with a nature model - a plant or animal or system which inspired us. Other times, we start with a problem. If we start with a problem, then we must 'ask nature' how it solves similar problems.

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Recap of Designed by Nature - Online in Illustrations

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Recap of Designed by Nature - Online in Illustrations

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All of our Designed by Nature programs follow the same framework whether they are online or in person. You might like to show this video to your students before your program for a taste of what to expect or after your program as a recap.

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These words will be used and explained in the Designed by Nature program.

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Structural colour. How does nature create colour?

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Learn how the Morpho Butterfly creates magnificent blue wings through structural colour in this 3-minute video.

How could this idea help people and the planet?

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What Gives the Morpho Butterfly Its Magnificent Blue? | Deep Look

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Security devices inspired by Morpho Butterfly wings

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Security devices inspired by Morpho Butterfly wings

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Scientists are being inspired by nature to design the next generation of security devices. Arrays of nanoscale holes create beautiful reflected colours that are almost impossible to forge. Learn more in this 5.5-minute video by Veritasium.

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Discover the genius of pitcher plants and they can inspire biomimetic designs in this 15 min video.

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SUPER SLIPPERY! Pitcher Plant Biomimicry

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Session 1: The Eiffel Tower, inspired by your femur bone (ignore the ad at the beginning).

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Watch: Did You Know the Eiffel Tower Was Inspired by Your Femur? 

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Watch: Did You Know the Eiffel Tower Was Inspired by Your Femur? 

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Did You Know the Eiffel Tower Was Inspired by Your Femur?

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Explore and be inspired by the database of plants and animals in The Atlas of Living Australia. 

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A comprehensive list of nature's functions put together by the Biomimicry Institute which can help students to Ask Nature for ideas when problem-solving.

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Explore adaptations of plants in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

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Learn From Plants found at our Melbourne Gardens

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Learn From Plants found at our Melbourne Gardens

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Join Biomimicry Learning Facilitator Carolyn as she explores amazing plant adaptations and their functions in this 6-minute video.

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Session 2: How VELCRO® Brand fasteners started all those years ago... (Long video)

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How VELCRO® Brand fasteners started all those years ago...

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The Lord Howe Screw Pine is a self-watering island giant... a great example of how plant adaptations can be multi-functional. Read more in this article in The Conversation.

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If you'd like more content like this, sign up for the Beating Around the Bush newsletter for a dose of nature news every two weeks.
Pandanus forsteri, a species of screw pine endemic to Lord Howe Island, grows tall like no other tree on Earth. To reach the canopy, these trees have evolved a rainwater harvesting system that enables them to water themselves.

Originally from Micronesia, the palm-like P. forsteri belongs to a group of trees that have populated almost every coastal habitat of the Pacific. In fact, pandans are used by Oceanic cultures for everything from fishing and cooking to medicine and religious ceremonies.

Our research shows that pandans differ in several fundamental ways from more familiar trees, including how they capture water and grow.

Read more: Welcome to Beating Around the Bush, wherein we yell about plants

Reaching for the canopy

Most trees lay down concentric rings of vascular tissue as they mature, thickening over time. This enables them to grow tall, yet maintain enough structural integrity to avoid toppling over. It is also arguably the most important evolutionary innovation that has enabled trees to colonise most of terrestrial Earth.

Together with palms, bamboo and yucca, pandans belong to a group known as monocots, because their seedlings produce a single embryonic leaf.

Their vascular tissue is not compartmentalised in the same way. It forms bundles that are positioned somewhat haphazardly within the stem. Consequently, monocots are unable to produce true secondary growth and thicken like other trees do - and reaching the canopy becomes a much more ambitious endeavour.

The canopy offers a good life. The sun is shining, seed-dispersing birds are abundant, and the herbivores of the forest floor are a distant concern. In monocots, natural selection has favoured some inventive ways of stretching to the top.

Pay-as-you-go growth

Palms overcome the limitations imposed by their physiology by spending their younger years laying down enough vascular girth to support their future stature. Think of it like putting aside money for your retirement. You may not need it now, but you will likely later depend on it.

Once thick enough, palms shift their efforts to vertical growth. The palm's tactic of delayed vertical growth may be slow, but it functions well enough to thrust Columbian wax palms ( Ceroxylon quindiuense) - the world's tallest monocot - 45 meters into the clouds.

Pandans, on the other hand, are less patient. Unlike palms, they prefer a sort of "pay-as-you-go" method. They produce stilt roots that extend from the trunk to the ground for support as the crown matures. The end result gives the appearance of an ice cream cone perched on a tepee of stilts. It's an odd strategy, but it works.

However, on Lord Howe Island, something quite remarkable has transpired. Isolated some 600 kilometres off the east coast of Australia, one species of screw pine has evolved into an island giant.

Island syndrome

Most screw pines are lucky to reach four or five meters. Pandanus forsteri trees, however, regularly exceed 15 meters. These kinds of size changes are not uncommon on isolated islands. They are part of a repeated evolutionary phenomenon known as the island syndrome.

Species on isolated islands are free from the stressors of continental life, and they subsequently converge on a more optimal, ancestral form. Large continental species evolve into island dwarfs, while smaller species become comparatively gigantic. Support for the island syndrome primarily comes from animals. However, a growing body of evidence suggests island plants follow a similar evolutionary path.

Read more: Lord of the forest: New Zealand's most sacred tree is under threat from disease, but response is slow

While gigantism may be favourable, it doesn't come without risks - and for P. forsteri, they are serious. Thanks to their new-found stature, P. forsteri trees must produce enormous stilt roots to support themselves. This process that can take years. Exposed to the air, roots can form air bubbles, and an air bubble in a plant is bad in the same way it is bad in your artery. It is potentially lethal.

Nature appears to have solved this problem through the evolution of a rainwater harvesting system that enables P. forsteri to water its own stilt roots before they reach the ground.

Gutter-like leaves collect rainwater and transport it to the trunk, where it descends. The flow of water is then couriered by a network of aqueducts formed by the root surface. Finally, water is stored in a specialised organ of absorptive tissue encasing the growing root tip.

Back to the drawing board

This is dramatically different from how we traditionally think about plants. It is far from our concept of sessile beings that passively absorb everything they need from the soil, thanks to the capillary action of their vascular tissues. Never before has a plant species been shown to possess a system of traits that operate jointly to capture, transport and store water external to itself.

This species has opened our eyes to an entirely new field of scientific inquiry. It forces scientists to rethink the function of organs like leaves and roots outside of the contexts of photosynthesis and the conduction of soil water.

Do other plants harvest rainwater in this way? Why have we only just discovered this? Has our overly simplistic view of plants hindered our ability to comprehend their true complexity? Only time, and more research, will tell.

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The Lord Howe screw pine is a self-watering island giant

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If you'd like more content like this, sign up for the Beating Around the Bush newsletter for a dose of nature news every two weeks. Pandanus forsteri, a species of screw pine endemic to Lord Howe Island, grows tall like no other tree on Earth.

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See How Termites Inspired a Building That Can Cool Itself | Decoder

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This activity encourages students to immerse themselves in nature, observe adaptations and discover function.

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Function Junction Lesson Plan. Can be used alongside the Finding Function Cards.

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Make you own set of 'Finding Function' cards.

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Make you own set of 'Finding Function' cards.

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Check out how geckos toes can inspire design solutions. Function in nature. Function in Design. 

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In Session 1 we learnt how to connect with nature and read a tree. Aiden Dwyer was 13 when he 'read a tree' and invented a new solar panel system.

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Watch: Solar panels inspired by oak trees

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Watch: Solar panels inspired by oak trees

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Innovation Inspired by Nature - AskNature

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Innovation Inspired by Nature - AskNature

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AskNature is a great resource for finding examples of biological strategies and bio-inspired designs. Your students might come back to this website again and again during their biomimicry journey.

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How does nature ...
produce color?

Humanity faces many challenges. Nature holds
solutions. To discover them, all we have to do is
ask. Begin your search here, or explore featured
content below to learn from other species'
successful strategies and adaptations.

Youth Design Challenge Gallery

Working with groups made me feel like I made an impact on the world. Youth Design Challenge Participant

The 2023-2024 Youth Design Challenge is here! Once again, students around the world will learn to use biomimicry to address some of the biggest environmental challenges we face. Learn more and view winners' projects from 2018 to the present.

Whether it is tool use among chimpanzees or song practice among zebra finches, the process of perfecting the craft lies in diligent practice. Karuna Skariah Educator

Education isn't just about memorization, but practicing into mastery. Looking to other species, we see that long-term success is all about incorporating new knowledge into your very being.

When materials that comprise living systems are subjected to repeated loads, they can weaken over time. This is called fatigue and it can lead to cracks and eventually failure. However, fatigue doesn't occur just anywhere on a material; the cracks usually start in areas subjected to elevated local stresses. Therefore, living systems often employ shapes, materials, and/or smooth transitions to decrease the potential for fatigue. An example of using shape is found in brown algae, an intertidal seaweed. Rather than being bent by the constant flow forces of waves and currents, its shape causes it to be pulled. This reduces stress by roughly 800 times compared to another species that bends with the flow, ultimately reducing structural fatigue.

Featured Pages for October 2023

Enjoy a hand-picked selection of pages, including seasonally themed, recently updated, or newly added Biological Strategies, Innovations, and more.

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Innovation Inspired by Nature - AskNature

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What are you going to be when you grow up? A Cyborg Psychologist, a Biomimicry Innovator, a Smart Dust Wrangler?

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What will our future workforce look like? Experts have come together in a new report to predict 100 jobs of the future.

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Definition of Biomimicry with some Examples

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Definition of Biomimicry with some Examples

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We recommend showing this video to your students before your program for a clear definition of biomimicry supported with the following examples:

The redesign of the shinkansen bullet train inspired by the form of the kingfisher's beak.

How the tubercles on the fins of humpback whales have inspired a more efficient design for wind turbine.

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Biomimicry: definition & examples (explained with drawings)

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How Eiji Nakatsu and his engineering team looked to nature for answers to their problem with the Bullet Train.

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We recommend showing this video to your students before your program as it tells the story of the Shinkansen Bullet Train in more detail.

It also includes an interview with Biomimicry Thought Leader, Janine Benyus where she discusses how designers can mimic nature's forms, processes and ecosystems.

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The world is poorly designed. But copying nature helps.

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Welcome to the Designed by Nature program with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.

We would like to acknowledge the Wurrundjeri, Woiwurrung and Bunurong, Boonwurrung peoples and their elders as the traditional caretakers of the land on which our Melbourne and Cranbourne Gardens are situated. Please join us in acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land your school is on.

First Nations people from all over the world have been learning from nature and practising biomimicry for thousands and thousands of years.

These links and other resources will help you follow in their footsteps and discover all the amazing things nature has to teach us.

From the Learning Innovation Programs Team at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria