Old About
“When we ask nature, first we quiet our human cleverness.
Then we ask, and then we listen.
The answer is the echo that bounces off of the land herself.
With the solution in hand, we always end the circle by saying thank you.”
––Janine Benyus
Why ask nature now?
Because we can’t afford not to. We have the innate potential to create a world that is harmonious, regenerative, and supports the well-being of all Life. As a young species, we are fortunate enough to have guidance to help us rise to this challenge. Our planet-mates, the fantastic meshwork of plants, animals, and microbes, have done billions of years of research and development. The time is now to collaborate globally to design this world for the future of all species. It begins by Asking Nature.
What are the 3 essential elements to asking nature?
This practice involves three interdependent elements:
- (Re)Connect: The increasing awareness that humans, individually and as a species, are part of nature, not separate from it, through a deepening connection that honors the reciprocal relationship between all living beings.
- Emulate: The scientific, research-based practice of learning from and then replicating nature’s forms, processes, and ecosystems to create more regenerative designs.
- Ethos: The realization that humans have a responsibility to conserve and protect that which they are learning from, as well as abiding by the planetary boundaries and principles for all nature-inspired innovation.
Who asks nature?
We exist to encourage everyone, everywhere to have a direct experience with nature that is founded on respect and curiosity. We have designed this tool to provide guidance to students, educators, engineers, scientists, designers, artists, naturalists, and those from yet to be defined disciplines. Our hope is that this is a homecoming for anyone on a journey to make the future better for all of our planetary neighbors.
How do you ask nature?
Quiet your cleverness
We seek to rightsize our place on the planet by quieting our cleverness, so we can collaborate with Life on solutions.
Ask nature a question
Attune to the question that you seek the answer to, and ask nature how it would solve this challenge.
Observe and listen deeply
Heighten the senses and see where an organism, living system, or universal pattern has adapted a strategy that inspires a model for emulation.
Apply wisdom to create a regenerative world
Design with the principles of Life in mind and heart, so the solution is additive and inventive while staying within planetary boundaries.
Give thanks
Always end each interaction with reverence and gratitude to the natural world.
How do you use this site?
AskNature presents profiles of intriguing and inspiring strategies developed by various species to meet challenges of all kinds. The site also offers descriptions of successful innovations that mimic those living systems.
The entire library of 2000+ pages is searchable and it can be navigated using categories of the kinds of living things being presented (“birds,” “insects,” “hat-thrower fungus”), and the functions that their strategies are performing (“Move in/on Liquids,” “Prevent Buckling”).
You are the explorer of your own experience. This is a field guide to help you find your way.
Staff
AskNature is a project of the Biomimicry Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the practice of looking to nature for inspiration to solve design problems in a regenerative way.
Contact Us
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