It's Time To Learn from Nature: A Conversation with Learn Biomimicry

What happens when you bring a biomimicry educator from South Africa, a biophilic designer from Colorado, and a global community of nature-inspired thinkers into one virtual space? Magic—and more importantly, momentum for a different kind of future.

Biophilic Design had the honor of hosting a LinkedIn Live conversation with Alistair Daynes , co-founder of Learn Biomimicry , to explore a powerful idea: that nature is not just something to admire, but something to learn from. If you missed it, here’s a recap of the insights, inspiration, and radical rethinking that unfolded.

Watch the recording here, or click the image below.

🌿 “Nature Doesn’t Do Waste. Everything Is a Resource.”

That quote from Alistair perfectly sums up the core of biomimicry: designing solutions inspired by how nature works. Since founding Learn Biomimicry in 2020, he’s helped thousands of professionals reimagine innovation not as invention from scratch, but as deep listening to 3.8 billion years of R&D.

From coral-restoring 3D-printed bricks (shoutout to the women-founded rrreefs ) to wind turbines inspired by humpback whales, Alistair’s message was clear:

Nature holds the blueprint—we just need to learn to read it.

🌍 “Create Conditions Conducive to Life”

Biomimicry is a systems approach to sustainability. It challenges us to redefine what “good” design looks like. Not just low-impact or carbon-neutral, but life-friendly, generous, and regenerative.

One of the most moving moments in our chat was Alistair’s metaphor: imagine Earth as a ship. Nature has steered this vessel for millennia. Humans took the wheel without a handover. Now, it’s time to consult the original navigator—nature itself.

📌 Notable Global Trends:

• Legal personhood for rivers and mountains is reframing how we relate to the natural world. In 2017, New Zealand became one of the first countries in the world to grant rights to a river: the Whanganui River.

• Cities designed to function like ecosystems—where buildings give back, streets pulse with biodiversity, and design is regenerative by default.

🔬 Biomimicry vs. Biophilic Design: Not a Competition, but a Collaboration

One of my favorite moments was a quick poll:

• Wind turbines inspired by humpback whales? → Biomimicry
• A forest-like office filled with light and plants? → Biophilic Design
• Cooling urban environments with tree canopies? → Biophilic Design
• Velcro, inspired by burdock seeds? → Biomimicry

The takeaway? These disciplines aren’t rivals. They’re complementary forces. Together, they form a spectrum of nature-inspired design, and the most powerful projects often blend both.

“Biophilic design is how spaces feel like nature. Biomimicry is how things work like nature.”

A few projects that beautifully fuse both:

• Respyre (Netherlands): Moss-based green facades.
• Strong by Form (USA): Tree-inspired timber composites.
• BUGA Fibre Pavilion (Germany): Robotic, waste-free lightweight structure.
• Bosco Verticale (Italy): A vertical forest that feels and functions like one.

🚀 Biomimicry Is Not Easy—But It’s Transformative

Alistair addressed a common misconception: that biomimicry is easy because nature is simple. But simplicity is not the same as ease.

“Innovation is the child of freedom and the parent of prosperity.”

Biomimicry isn’t for everyone—it’s for those ready to challenge norms and lead system change. It’s not invention for invention’s sake. It’s innovation for life’s sake.

He encouraged aspiring architects, engineers, and planners to start where they are and pick a project they care deeply about. And most importantly: keep practicing. Biomimicry is a mindset as much as a method.

📚 Want to Go Deeper? Learn Biomimicry Has You Covered

From short foundational courses to the Biomimicry Practitioner Programme (which I’m currently taking—and loving!), Learn Biomimicry offers multiple entry points for curious minds.

And you don’t need a science degree—just a deep curiosity and a willingness to see the world differently. Explore:

👉 Free eBook: Biomimicry Basics

👉 Free for a limited time: Biomimicry Project Playbook

👉 Free Trial: Biomimicry Short Courses

🦋 Final Reflections: What Nature Has Changed for Us

I closed the session by sharing the story of the Blue Morpho butterfly—whose brilliant blue hue isn’t from pigment, but from microscopic nanostructures that manipulate light. It reminded me that there’s always more than meets the eye in nature.

Alistair's favorite? The scaly-foot snail, which forges iron armor from minerals at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Just one of many marvels shaped by the same evolutionary algorithm.

👣 Your Next Step: Walk Differently

The best part of this conversation wasn’t just the insights—it was the invitation.

To think differently. To design regeneratively. To live in ways that create conditions conducive to life.

Whether you're a builder, policy-maker, student, or simply a curious human—nature is ready to mentor you.

Follow along with Biophilic Design and Learn Biomimicry for more insights, events, and resources.

Author: Alexandra B. Founder, Biophilic Design Community | Biomimicry Practitioner in Training. Connect with me on LinkedIn.