The Institute for Holistic Biomimicry:About

The Institute for Holistic Biomimicry

The purpose of the Institute for Holistic Biomimicry is to gather, contribute and disseminate knowledge and experience of "post-enlightenment" ways for people to work with ecological systems (ecosystems); Nature and the environment, but also in design, the arts and sciences.

Aims

Recognizing the potential for positive synergetic effects from the exposure of practitioners in different fields of endeavor to each other's endogenous knowledge of and practices in biomimicry, the Institute for Holistic Biomimicry aims to:

• Cultivate the knowledge and appreciation of the positive symbiosis possible between creative practices in land stewardship and the arts through natural systems thinking.
• Contribute to a regeneration of an understanding of the interconnections between nature's biomes in, for example:
  • Regenerative land stewardship
  • Farming and ranching practices
  • Agroecology
  • Rhizosphere reactivation.
  • Nutrient-dense food consumption, and
  • Gut biome health.
• Foster emotionally and technically engaging artistic expressions of biological and ecological systems and facilitate their dissemination throughout the world.
• Encourage the theoretical and practical development and application of bio-mathematical model in biomimetic activities.

The underlying motivation of the Institute is to promote cooperative exploration and learning. Any restrictions implied here are not meant to be exclusionary, but represent the priorities of the current contributors. Contributions from others with alternative or extended perspectives are welcome! Please email info@holistic-biomimicry.org in the first instance.

Why Holistic Biomimicry?

Ecological systems exist and function at multiple levels. In biomimetic thinking, nature is considered as a source of advice, rather than as just a provider of materials. This approach considers the resilience of the natural world to not only find a way to invent better materials or products, but also to better navigate how to live and thrive under the impact of negative externalities, such as environmental catastrophes.

Biomimetic thinking also encourages systems-thinking in creative practices. For instance, it might require a product designer to work in close collaboration with a biologist, a manufacturer and all possibly relevant stakeholders to incorporate trans-disciplinary perspectives to fully understand the ecological context of each activity. Such an approach it is full of relationships, partnerships and communities that are more resilient when they work together.

The application of Biomimicry is often categorized into three different levels:

• The Organism level,
• The Behavior level, and
• The Ecosystem level.

Holistic Biomimicry in the Arts

The widespread adoption of holistic biomimetic thinking is in its early phase in most cultures, spurred on (as is most of human history's major cultural paradigm shifts) by the production and distribution of food. Without food, there is no culture, and agriculture is the basis of all sedentary culture. Holistic biomimicry promises to stimulate new forms of creative expression (in music and in the other arts) which communicate on an emotional and intellectual level to citizens at large. Such a change in mindset, will improve the capacity of regeneration of the natural environment, improve the climate at the same time as contributing to resilient, sustainable, and adaptable built environments.

David Worrall

November 2022