Category Archives: Biomimicry

Sometimes you need something remarkable to capture kids’ interest, especially towards the end of the school year. Few kids cannot help being fascinated by the goofy-looking shoebill. Shoebills are a unique prehistoric-looking tall bird with a large beak resembling a Dutch clog. The beak is perfect for catching and carrying large fish. Shoebills make clatteringContinue reading “Unique & Remarkable – Shoebills”

The book “What is a River?” by Lithuanian illustrator and storyteller Monika Vaicenavičienė is a beautiful prose poem about the things a river is and can be. It is also part encyclopedia and curious young biomimicrists will find lots of things to ponder over. Facts about famous rivers and the animals and people who liveContinue reading “What is a River? By Monika Vaicenavičiené”

Check out this amazing mural created by the artist Jayne Kim. She brought 270 species of birds alive on wall space at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology‘s Visitor Center. In greyscale along the staircase, she has painted some bird species that are extinct – so this mural is covering a span of about 350 millionContinue reading “Inspirational Video – Birds”

Majestic and beautiful with their characteristic wrinkled grey skin. Elephants have inspired several innovative ideas. Projects about Africa or Asia often include learning about elephants. You can use biomimicry cards in the classroom to further enhance learning about these fantastic animals. Elephants are well known among kids for their unique appearance with their swinging flexibleContinue reading “Elephant Tiles and Other Amazing Biomimicry Ideas”

The colour-changing ability of chameleons is fascinating! These remarkable creatures are perfect for introducing biological strategies to young children. Exploring how the change colour at will is something that will capture kids’ imagination. Yet, the colour changing is only the start. Chameleons’ tongues can be twice as long as its body. The tongue can extendContinue reading “Chameleons – Biological Strategies”

Biomimicry Projects for Homeschool Students As homeschoolers, we have enormous advantages when it comes to bringing nature into the homeschool room. Introducing biomimicry into your home is a great opportunity not only to take out the magnifying glasses, and binoculars but also the art supplies. A wonderful opportunity to mix science and art. A biomimicryContinue reading “Biomimicry Design Projects for Homeschool Students”

I love frosty mornings when everything is covered with sugary ice. The garden reminds me of Sleeping Beauty. The world has gone into a long much-needed rest to breathe and gather strength. But there is actually plenty of life, beauty and wonder even on a frosty cold winter morning. The core of biomimicry is toContinue reading “Biomimicry Design Inspired by Tree Observations on a Frosty Morning”

Beachcombing along the shoreline is exciting. You never know what you might find. If you are lucky enough you might find a real treasure – a mermaid’s purse hiding among the seaweed. It is a bit mind-boggling to imagine that a shark or skate might have emerged from the egg case. The little pouches areContinue reading “Mermaid Purses”

Platypuses are remarkable creatures that have a beak and lay eggs. They are not classed as a bird, they are known as monotremes – mammals that lay eggs. They are also biofluorescent animals, which is different from bioluminescence, where the animal either produces the light itself or hosts other organisms that shine. Various plants, fungi,Continue reading “Glowing Platypus – Biomimicry Journal”

Exciting news about this remarkable monotreme mammal. Echidnas use their own mucus to stay cool. Echidnas cannot sweat, pant, or lick to keep their bodies cool. But they have an impressive tolerance to heat. Now, scientists have discovered how they do it. Echidnas stay cool by blowing mucus bubbles through their snout. The bubbles burstContinue reading “Echidna’s clever way to stay cool – Snot Bubbles”

Echidnas are super cool! This spiky mammal lays eggs. There are five monotremes – four of them are echidnas and the other mammal is the fascinating platypus. Echidnas have hard flat eyes and the claws on the hind limbs are curved backwards to help them dig burrows. Yet, their snout, sometimes called a beak, isContinue reading “Echidna Super Cool Snout”

I found this beautiful video this morning and I thought it would be a great start to the new year. You can read more about the poem and the video here. Have a nature-filled 2023! The Universe in Verse | Part 1: Bloom from Maria Popova on Vimeo.

Growing robots may help us explore unknown places like the Moon. Plants use growth to move and explore and even take over the environment. In contrast, animals do not grow to be able to move. Inspired by plants we can design search applications where we do not know what the environment looks like beforehand. WhatContinue reading “Green Robots to explore the Oceans and the Moon! – Design Inspired by Plants”

Jumping kangaroo-inspired robots, soft flexible robots inspired by the elephant’s trunk. What next? The idea of using animals as inspiration for robots has fascinated me! Yet, pushing the way we design robots even further might require us to look at the world of plants. Plants as the inspiration you might think. Plants are sessile andContinue reading “Growing Robots!”

Squirrels love munching on mushrooms and even poisonous ones. You can see them nibbling on the bright red toadstool and for some reason I always thought that the squirrels had stopped eating them and left a bit of a mess on the lawn. But squirrels can eat fungi that are poisonous to us humans. SoContinue reading “Mushroom Leather Shoes for Kids – Inspired by Nature”

I love the new book by Ed Young. A mind-blowing journey into how other animals experience our world. This book pushes you to the limit to understand our world. It challenges you to see the world through the eyes of other animals. Changing your perspective when it comes to other people’s views is not easy,Continue reading “How does an animal see colours? Inspired by An Immense World”

Is there anything better than reading a book and listening to the buzzing bees? At last, summer has arrived and you can sit under a tree in the shade enjoying the endless questions that some books spark. The not bad animals brilliant explores how some animals have been misunderstood. Like the spiders who really areContinue reading “Summer Reading for Young Curious Nature Lovers”

Ingenious designs! Nature is bursting with patterns and the diversity of patterns is fantastic, from leopards’ spots that merge into rosette markings as the cubs grow to shells and bumblebees with their black and yellow stripes. Our world is often a confusing place, and we look for patterns and order to make sense of it.Continue reading “Symmetry in Nature”

At the moment we are enjoying these two books. Check them out! The Animal BFFs is written by Sophie Corrigan. Here you can read about different types of Friendships among animals: mutualism commensalism and parasitism. The natural world is filled with strange and unlikely friendships. Odd couples that highlight the idea that sometimes it’s betterContinue reading “Inspirational Books for Young Biomimicry Enthusiasts”

Sunflowers have many superpowers. What if children could learn and grow in a Sundance School – a school inspired by this remarkable plant. When you are designing a building using sunflowers as inspiration you can use: Visual inspiration—your design looks like a sunflower plant. Use a principle found in nature, for example, the sunflower movesContinue reading “Sundance School – Biomimicry Inspired by Sunflowers”

Strive for Peace! Build and Nurture a Better world by reaching for the Sun filled with super Sunflower Power! Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine. The proud flowers have throughout history been associated with power, strength, warmth and positivity. The strong resemblance to our Sun often puts a smile on our faces. The lastContinue reading “Sunflowers – Strength, Peace & Biomimicry Inspiration”

What a spectacular programme! And great accompanying books. New camera techniques have made it possible to dive into the world of plants with images that really make you feel more connected to plants. The Green Planet shows plants like you have never seen them before – new and surprising insights. The series focuses on theContinue reading “The Green Planet – Inspiration for Young Biomimicrists”

“Is this the biggest tree in the park. . . the forest. . . or the whole world? We may hear kids being impressed by trees, plants and animals and that is great. But we can also support kids to notice and be impressed by the variety of different types of trees, plants, and animalsContinue reading “Why to we need Biodiversity?”

A couple of weeks ago I was looking for books about trees for children. I was so excited when I found a picture book by Peter Wohlleben the author of The Hidden Life of Trees. In that book, he shares how trees communicate, feel and grow. Go here to read a blog post inspired byContinue reading “Peter and the Tree Children by Peter Wohlleben”

Children are driven by curiosity! What can be more exciting than discovering the microscopic world? A microscope is a super tool for encouraging children to love biology and also to develop their observational skills. Despite a fascination for tiny organisms, I must admit I was not quite prepared for the voyage that filmmaker Jan vanContinue reading “Planktonium – A Journey to a Microscopic World”

A couple of weeks ago I attended an online session organised by Plantlife about grassland and waxcap fungi. Members of the Hygrophoraceae family, commonly known as waxcaps, are beautiful and often colourful mushrooms. They come in a rainbow of colours from bright rich scarlets and lemon yellow to purples and greens and pink. They glowContinue reading “Waxcap Fungi – Colourful Inspiration for Biomimicrists”

The first word in the English dictionary is Aardvark. A charming mammal that looks like they were made from parts of other animals. Aardvarks are nocturnal burrowing animals that are found throughout Africa, south of the Sahara. The aardvark’s body and long snout look a bit like a pig and their name comes from SouthContinue reading “Inspirational Video – Aardvark”

Sleeping like a dolphin has its advantages! Would it not be wonderful to rest one of your brain hemispheres at a time and to sleep with one eye open. Dolphins are fascinating and they are a wonderful source of inspiration for ideas related to their superpowers whether it is echolocation, communication, streamlined body shape, orContinue reading “Dolphin Sleep Pattern and Other Interesting Things”

The best inspiration apart from spending time in nature is picture books. I am passionate about all sorts of books and children’s books are no different. Wonderful pictures, exciting stories, and silly rhymes are the best way to get ideas. The best picture books contain plenty of opportunities for learning, yet it does not feelContinue reading “Brilliant inspirational nature books för curious kids”

A new school term and perhaps time to introduce Biomimicry to your students! “Biomimicry builds off of a child’s natural curiosity, and it allows students to discover how things (evolved into) its current state. It allows students to see the differences and similarities in nature. It allows learners to become heroes of their own learning…Continue reading “Biomimicry Educator – Inspiring Students”

Nature works by relying on some deep patterns, and Life’s Principles are design lessons from nature. It is a framework that can help us when we are exploring nature. This is done by focusing on one of the six principles at a time. People who work with creating nature-inspired solutions are familiar with these principlesContinue reading “Introducing Biomimicry Life’s Principles for Young Students”

Spring has arrived with bats, butterflies, nest-building! Weekends and school holidays are spent at the beach. Ice creams, sunhats, and sandcastles are part of a visit to the beach. But can a visit to the beach involve biomimicry? Biomimicry is the conscious observation of the natural world. The observations can be used to solve problems.Continue reading “BioThinkDive about Ice-Cream, Beaches, and Travelling”

Fungi to flamingo, plants to animals – the variety of life on our planet is wonderful. Biodiversity is the name we give to the variety of all life on Earth. The term is complex to grasp but it is this complexity that makes our planet the perfect place for us humans as well as plants,Continue reading “Why is Biodiversity important for Biomimicry”

Some projects take for ever but now the Insect Biomimicry Board Game is finished! It is similar to the Mammal and Australian Board Game and the idea is to encourage children to play a non-competive game where the focus is on exploring insects and wild exciting ideas. Photo By Quit007 – Own work, CC BY-SAContinue reading “Biomimicry Invention Game – Intriguing Insects”

This book looks stunning. It has not been published yet but you can pre-order it. “This beautiful book will help you explore the five oceans on our planet, meeting the creatures who live there and finding out just how their incredible surroundings work. From tides and currents, to migrations and conservation, see our oceans inContinue reading “Turtle’s View are Fascinating – Book Tips for Nature Lovers”

Below is a selection of books about Climate Change that are perfect to use at home or in the classroom. Biomimicrists believe that it is vital to explore solutions to problems and the focus should always been on exploring how nature can inspire solutions and new innovations. Check out my materials for young children thatContinue reading “Inspiring Books about Climate Changes for Curious Readers”

Would it not be nice to stop scrubbing every day? How do you keep surfaces clean without using lots of water and chemicals? And how do you save time cleaning your house so that you can enjoy reading books? Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants that have leaves that have been modified to trap prey. TheContinue reading “Inspirational video – Pitcher plants inspires super-slippery materials”

Happy New Year! A New Year’s Day tradition is to watch Vienna Philharmonic Concert. At this year’s concert the guest conductor Riccardo Muti talks about joy, hope, peace, brotherhood, and “Love” with capital “L,”. The world needs to consider culture as one of the primary pre-measure elements to help build a better society in theContinue reading “Does it work? Biomimicry in Education”

Wow, loved this book! A big surprised when the parcel arrived because I had not expected a Big Book! I know the clue is in the title but a book can be big in lots of different ways. And this is a book that is large in size as well as big on information. PerfectContinue reading “The Big Book of the Blue”

The pretty cool snowl owl are famous for being a bit magical. Harry Potter’s pet owl Hedwig proved over and over again that she was a bit better than the rest of the owls at the wizard’s school. There are Paleolithic paintings in the Chauvet cave in France depicting owls alongside prehistoric lions and horsesContinue reading “Inspiration from a Snowy Owl”

Here is some books about nature that caught our eyes. Books to be cherished for years and enjoying by the whole family. Books filled with prehistoric pets, strange looking animals and plants, lovely poems as well as mesmering spells. Perfect Christmas gifts! From the inspired pairing behind the award-winning The Lost Words comes a luminous hymnContinue reading “The Most Mesmerizing Books for Nature Loving Children”

Penguins like all animals and plants have developed brilliant ways to survive. Penguins can be found in a cold as well as a warm climate. And they deal with the climate challenges in different ways, penguin chicks in Antarctica learn to skate on the ice whereas Galápagos penguin chicks are masters of sliding on rocks.Continue reading “Penguin Superpowers – Brillant Ways to Survive”

“We must rewild the world.” David Attenborough’s latest book ” A Life on Our Planet – My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future” explores some of the most important challenges that face our planet. He writes about the changes that have taken place during his life and he describes some of the biggestContinue reading “A Life on Our Planet – David Attenborough”

The dream was to write a series of books about Theo & Tuva and now the outline for the second book is taking shape. 2020 has been a year filled with challenges, new challenges, but also old familiar problems have been lurking in the background. Greta Thunberg and young climate activistists have not given upContinue reading “New Challenges, New Adventures”

“We have not come here to beg world leaders to care. You have ignored us in the past and you will ignore us again. We have run out of excuses and we are running out of time. We have come here to let you know that change is coming whether you like it or not.Continue reading “Books that Inspire Creative Thinking and Environmental Responsibility”

Ahh, at last the smell of sea! Spent some lovely days last week beachcombing. Lots of shells, most of them tiny, glittering in the sand on the tidal shore. Also, lots of sea weed that looked like bubble wrap with their distinctive air bubbles. The air sacks are known as air bladders, which give theContinue reading “Beachcombing – Bladderwrack!”

Meet the photographer to the book Biomimicry with Theo & Tuva”- Ann-Margrethe. Here she practising “Biomimicry Ballet”. A wonderfully healthy way to experience nature while pondering over ideas inspired by nature. That children who understand nature are better at taking care of it is perhaps not so strange. Some children lack experience of nature andContinue reading “Biomimicry Ballet”

“I notice, I wonder, It reminds me of…” A cold but sunny September morning. The first day of Autumn, at least in meteorological terms, but the changes in the natural world such as the fantastic colourful autumn leaves display may still wait. A perfect time to study unique microhabitats where you live – under bushes,Continue reading “Under a Log!”

I picked the chestnuts on the street while walking my dog this morning. Autumn is almost here and the dark couds that covered the sky promised rain. Heavy rain. The horse chestnut is a stunning tree that is originally native to the mountains of northern Greece and Albania. It was introduced to the UK inContinue reading “Transforming Education, Treasures and Great Nature Books”

Why is biodiversity important? How to increase biodiversity using BIOMIMICRY? In the film, The Birds produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock the focus is on a series of sudden and unexplained violent bird attacks on the people of Bodega Bay, California. A classic horror film, however, the true horror is perhaps a world without birds.Continue reading “Inspiring Endangered Birds – Biomimicry and Biodiversity”

Hurry out to sun with a pile of books. Or cuddle up on the sofa while you watch raindrops siding down the window panes at the same time as you flick through pages filled with exquisite and colourful fungi, animals and plants. Some books about nature that caught our eyes. Perfect books for lazy summer’sContinue reading “Summer Reading – Books for Curious Minds”

Pink fairy armadillo! The smallest of the armadillo family is a fascinating species that like so many animals on our planet is endangered. The animal is nicknamed sand digger and according to stories it can”burrow through the ground as fast as a fish can swim in the sea”. It might be difficult to believe thatContinue reading “Inspiration for Biomimicry Story – Pink Fairy Armadillo”

I have spent sunny days in the garden reading the excellent Engineering Education for the Next Generation by Samuel Cord Stier, who is the executive director of The Center for Learning with Nature. This book together with wild gardening books, Wild Your Garden and Wildlife Gardening, provided the basis for the ideas about bringing sustainabilityContinue reading “Invent the Room – Sustainability & Biomimicry”

A plant revealing its wonderous secrets! Picking a Dandelion head, making a wish and blowing the puff into the air, watching as the little white fluff float away on a light breeze is a lovely way to experience a bit a nature’s magic taking place. Many people regard the dandelions as weed but it canContinue reading “Dandelions – Doing it Nature’s Way”

“I’ve often considered it strange that the most intellectual creature ever to walk the earth is destroying its only home. This wonderful story, What Happened When We All Stopped, helps parents and their children to overcome the disconnect between our clever brains and our loving compassionate hearts. We must find a way of living in harmony with nature so thatContinue reading “What happended when we all stopped”

Irresitable Rufous Hummingbirds trust Maise. Migrating rufous hummingbirds are famous for their extraordinary flight skills. The hummingbirds remember feeders and flowers along the way to their breeding grounds. Due to climate change, many flowers that the birds feeds on during the breeding season have started blooming prior to the birds’ arrival. The rufous may arriveContinue reading “Hummingbird Whisperer – Inspirational Videos”

On Monday, 1st June, some pupils in the UK will return to school after the lockdown due to coronavirus. Lots of thoughts and worries but listening to Janine Benyus talk about the “great pause” as she calls the lockdown offer a vision of utopian glimmer in the darkness. The lockdown due to the coronavirus hasContinue reading “Utopian Glimmer – Covid-19”

Will the llamas become heroes in the fight against covid-19? Llamas are gorgeous looking animals that have caputured many hearts with their soulful big eyes, funny haircut and velvety snout. The fluffy gentle giants have also attracted the attention of scientists studying antibodies. The remarkable antibodies of camelids, llamas, camels and alpacas, has been studiedContinue reading “Llamas, Biomimicry and Viruses”

Our gardens, parks and forests are filled with wonders and beauty. Breathtaking wildlife and beautiful plants that give us life, it’s important to understand our world and nature drawing and biomimicry journaling give children an opportunity to enhance their understanding and appreciation of our earth. The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling provides greatContinue reading “Nature Drawing and Biomimicry Journaling”

I love to mix art and science! Biomimicry is a great opportunity to take out art supplies. Spring is the perfect time to study butterflies. With their colourful wings and gentle fluttering, it is easy to understand why they are such a welcome sign of Spring. The arrival of butterflies is also an important measureContinue reading “Fluttering Beauties – Biomimicry & Butterflies”

“We believe that the widespread adoption of nature-inspired solutions will catalyze a new era in design and business that benefits both people and the planet. Let’s make the act of asking nature’s advice a normal part of everyday inventing. We hope you will join us.” Biomimicry Institute This year has been filled with changes andContinue reading “Reconnecting with Nature”

A new resource for Google Classroom. I hope you like it and that it will help to create many memorable experiences in your classroom. Perfect for homeschooling and distance learning! You find it here.

Biomimicry education should be a memorable experience! Several different approaches can be used to inspire children to explore nature and to feel excited about solving problems or inventing things. You can read books such as “How an Idea from Nature Changed Our World” by Dorna Schroeter and explore how biomimicry can be used to solveContinue reading “A Memorable Experience”

Small, colourful and spectacular! Hummingbirds are beautiful and strong. They provide the perfect inspiration for great ideas! A wonderful way to keep schoolchildren happy and engaged at home as well as ensuring that they are continuing their learning is to start a project. Project-based learning is an engaging way to spark an interest in aContinue reading “Project based learning perfect for homeschooling”

What everyday problem could a body like a ferret solve? Love all the wonderful ideas that pop up while you watch this video of a ferret in slow motion. Like magic the ferret lowers and stretches itself out, making its body 30% longer. This helps they when they are running through small tunnels. Amazingly theyContinue reading “Inspirational Video – Ferrets”

When I started making Biomimicry resources I had a vision of what I wanted them to look like. Google Classroom has made it possible to get a bit closer. Still, some ideas that I would like to include. Things can always be improved. Edward de Bono said, “Good But Not Enough”! Mantees and dugongs makeContinue reading “For Google Classroom – Biomimicry, Manatees & Dugongs”

Made another board game! Similar to the one with mammals but this time the theme is Australia. Games are an educational tool that is underestimated. They are engaging and fun. Nevertheless, I like the idea of games that at its core is non-competetive. And this Biomimicry Invention Board Game is more about ideas and exploringContinue reading “Board Game”

Wombats are one of Australia’s most loved marsupials, but they are often misunderstood. In children’s books they are described as slow and clumsy, yet, they can actually run faster than a human or dog over a short distance. Muddle-headed wombats! No, they are quick to learn and they have adapted to their life underground. However,Continue reading “Biomimicry, Bushfires and Wombats”

A dangerous summer is unfolding in Australia and so far millions, even billions animals have lost their lives in raging bushfires. Bushfires are common in Australia so animals and plants have developed various ways to survive and reproduce. This year, the bushfires are not normal, hundreds of fires are burning and the links to climateContinue reading “Bushfires and Biomimicry”

Bring nature and curiosity into your classroom! Learning is more fun and memorable when you are encouraged to ask questions and solve engaging problems. By inspiring your students to explore biomimicry you provide them with an opportunity to be amazed by the natural world. Biomimicry offers an opportunity to explore strategies and look for patternsContinue reading “How to foster students’ love of learning, creative thinking and desires to improve the world”

Embrace the trend! Start 2020 with spending time in nature and ponder! Trendy! Biomimicry is an emerging trend that is slowly but surely entering the business world, universities as well as the classroom. It may not always be easy to embrace biomimicry. Yet, it is a wonderful feeling to search for exciting solutions to problemsContinue reading “2020! Biomimicry an emerging trend!”

Funny, beautiful, excting, sad and heartbreaking. The BBC’ s Seven Worlds One Planet has it all! A celebration of the diversity of life on each of the seven continents nearth, but also a hunting look into the challenges faced by animals in a modern world. Narrated by David Attenborough this is a real treat. AndContinue reading “Seven Worlds, One Planet – Inspirational videos”

Particle robots, working as a an oscillating group do not have any need for centralised control. The particle robots change their rhythms based on how intense a nearby light is shining. Robots that work together in this way could move through different types of environments, even places that they have never visted before. Working togetherContinue reading “Particle Robot – Inspirational videos”

Every Friday until Christmas, we are reducing the price on our book. Printed version click here. Ebook click here.

Books make a wonderful gift! Books are one of my biggest weaknesses. I love thin books, thick books, adult’s book, children’s books, picture books and books with nothing but words! Here is a list of books that inspires us to look at nature. The books may challenge us to invent things, solve problems, dream andContinue reading “Nature, Invention, Biomimicry Books & Games”

Flying bats, owls and even spiders. Be amazed and feel inspired by these wonderful creatures and use them as inspiration for wonderful imaginative Halloween creations. Move away from the plastic toys and costyms, and celebrate the wonder of nature this Hallween. If you serach for spiders, bats and owls in the serach box, there areContinue reading “Inspirational Autumnlicious & Spooktacular Videos – Spiders, Bats, & Owls”

“A world that shimmers in different moss green shades can be as beautiful as a colourful coral reef.” Biomimicry with Theo & Tuva: Nature spotting inspires wild ideas Theo & Tuva are exploring nature in the warm spring sun, on warm summer days when the rain is pouring down, when the snow sparkles and onContinue reading “Moss Green Shades & Mimic Stick Insect”

Cold and misty morning! Perfect day for watching this 1975 film based on the story Hedgehog in the Fog by Russian children’s writer Sergey Kozlov. A hedgehog walks through the night to visit his friend, a bear cub. It is not easy to find your way in a dense forest, and the little hedgehog getsContinue reading “Hedgehog in the Fog!”

I would like to thank Natursidan.se and Erik for the review of my book. Go here to read the review. I hope this inspires you to have a look at the book. So far I have sold a couple of copies to the US and Japan! And the Sweden version is doing well!

Can we capture carbon using plants and animals as strategic tools in our climate toolbox?. The global climate is changing, and the focus is often on decreasing the output of greenhouse gases via technologies or ideas such carbon offset or carbon taxes. Yet, reducing the emission of carbon is only one idea. We could accelerateContinue reading “Climate Change and Biomimicry”

Big fruit bats, vampire bats with razor sharp teeth, and the cutest fluffy white bat with yellow ears, and an interesting leaf-shaped nose. In the latest biomimicry booklet I slipped by accident into medical applications inspired by nature. And it was the Hoduran white bat that sparked the initial idea. Honduran white bat has theContinue reading “Bats! Bats! Bats!”

Autumn and Mushroom! Learn more about the magic underneath your feet. This is the trailer for the stunningly beautiful movie by Louie Schwartzberg and Paul Stamets. You can read more about their work here. You may also like Inspired by Fungi and Creepy Smelly Burglar Alarm.

Invent a gliding suit or a robot inspired by sugar gliders. Or a new sport inspired by short tails. What do You do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins is a striking book with intriguing facts. Explore amazing things that animals can do with their ears, eyes, noses, mouths, feet and tails! TheContinue reading “What do you do with a tail like this?”

Thrilled to announce that the printed version is here! Ann-Margrethe, Cecilia and I hope you like it. You find it here.

“We need more talkative trees.” Fairy tales have trees with human faces, trees that can talk and whisper, and sometimes even walk or fly. Yet, trees are despite all their brilliant features easy to ignore. They grow slowly, really slowly, and even if deciduous trees shed their leaves and burst with new leaves each springContinue reading “A sad tree”

The forest is home for thousands of species, big animals like bears, and deer, and smaller animals like hedgehogs, porcupines and rabbits. Thousands of ways to explore possibilities and be inspired. Porcupine Quills to Needles (21st Century Junior Library: Tech from Nature) by Jennifer Colby is a book in a series that aims towards providingContinue reading “A sharp idea – Biomimicry”

Sound is important when you are birding or bat spotting, but we can learn a lot about nature from closing our eyes and focusing on distinguishing signals. Our garden has this summer been bursting with the sounds of squirrels playing the trees. If we focused, we could hear them jumping from one branch to theContinue reading “A summer filled with the sound of squirrels! – Sound Mapping”

A couple of years ago, I seriously considered moving to Tasmania so this video is a bit special. The wildlife of Tasmania is a wonderful source of inspiration and who better to tell the story than David Attenborough. It is a long video, but it tells an excting story of wallabies, platypuses, minature penguins andContinue reading “Tasmania – Inspirational Video”

Summer evenings can be magical. Spending time the park or garden listening to the birds and watching the bees drinking nectar from the flowers. But summer evening can also be filled with thunder and lightning, which means that magic that can be found in nature can come by reading. Picture books bring the outdoors inContinue reading “Books about Nature using pressed flowers”

Biomimicry stimulates the imagination and inspires children to see nature as a place that offers both adventure and play, as well as a chance to discover the secrets of nature. Biomimicry is a way to explore the functions that animals and plants perform both themselves and in their ecosystems. This approach is a creative wayContinue reading “Breathe in nature, be inspired, solve problems, dream, build!”

This post contains ad links. Summer and Board Games! Evolution Board Game, Climate Board Game and Evolution: The Beginner Board Game are great games for children who loves nature. The first two games are suitable for a little older children. The games come from North Star Games and they have quickly become very popular games.Continue reading “Board Games for a Curious Biomimicrist”

The idea appeared yesterday when we were walking our dog. So many interesting ideas appear when you are walking. Walking improves creativty, according to a Stanford study. Stuck at home, staring at the walls, ideas seem hard to hatch. We have been thinking about the puffins but every idea seemed . . . boring .Continue reading “Puffilicious Rubbish Picker Litter Stick”

Our book “Biomimicry with Theo & Tuva: Nature spotting inspires wild ideas” is almost ready! Here is our backcover with a pale yellow-green birch. And beautiful birch heart! The birch has a little special meaning for all of us because Umeå is the city of the birches. Ann-Margrethe and I studied at university there togetherContinue reading “The City of the Birches – Biomimicry with Theo & Tuva”

Have you ever seen a puffin in the wild? One of the great things about biomimicry is that there is interesting information and great videos on the Internet and in the library. So, if you just like me have never had the pleasure of seeing a puffin in the wild, you can still study thisContinue reading “Puffin Beaks Glow under UV light! Biomimicry Journal”

Puffins have been in the news this week. Sadly, climate change might be the reason behind the crested or tufted puffins decline in numbers in the Bering Sea. Although, I have previously used endangered animals as inspiration for ideas, when I selected puffins a couple of weeks ago for a new booklet that I amContinue reading “Puffins – Clownlike inspiration”

“Treehouses are for wonder. Treehouses are for snacks.Treehouses are for whispers and snickers and echoes.Treehouses are for everyone.” Ever dreamt of having a treehouse? A magical place where you can escape from reality. Everything You Need for a Treehouse by Carter Higgins and Emily Hughes is a wonderful celebration of treehouses. Children dream up fantasticContinue reading “Everything You Need For A Treehouse”

Excited to share a picture from the book. Here the twins, Theo and Tuva, are pondering over the intricate ways that ladybirds folds their wings. Go here or here to read more about ladybirds!

This is an idea that I got a long, long time ago. Finally decided to make a start and I make a booklet with an invention board game with a focus on six fantastic and inspiring animals – giraffe, dolphin, zebra, giant panda, meerkat and cheetah. When using biomimicry with young children, it is oftenContinue reading “Biomimicry Invention Game”

The wonderous world of frogs are a treasure trove of inpiration. There is something utterly magical about the idea to change skin texture or colour. Just look at the Moor Frogs (Rana arvalis) who turn blue Spring. Well, at least the males turn bright blue. They are usually reddish-brown like many other frogs. Blue isContinue reading “Celebrate Spring – Turn Blue for a Couple of Days”

Nature and architecture are perfect partners! Are you planning a biomimicry challenge? The book Wild Buildings and Bridges: Architecture Inspired by Nature by Etta Kaner is a great introduction to using nature as inspiration to design and architecture. Thought provoking questions and illustrated examples mixed with directions that invite children to build and explore theirContinue reading “Wild Buildings and Bridges”