Design Like Nature: Biomimicry for a Healthy Planet

by Megan Clendenan, Kim Ryall Woolcock

Overview

★“Fascinating…An appealing resource sure to spark an interest in biomimicry, from casual readers to budding scientists. Recommended for all ­libraries.”—School Library Journal, starred review

Did you know that lamps can be powered by glowing bacteria instead of electricity? That gloves designed like gecko feet let people climb straight up glass walls? Or that kids are finding ways to make compostable plastic out of banana peels? Biomimicry, the scientific term for when we learn from and copy nature, is a revolutionary way to look to nature for answers to environmental problems such as climate change.

In Design Like Nature young readers discover innovations and inventions inspired by the environment. Nature runs the entire planet with no waste and no pollution. Can humans learn to do this too? It's time to step outside and start designing like nature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459824645
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	03/16/2021
Series:	Orca Footprints Series , #20
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	1050L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Megan Clendenan has worked for women's rights, mental health and youth empowerment nonprofits as well as for an environmental law group. She is the co-author of Design Like Nature, part of the Orca Footprints series, and the author of Offbeat, a novel for young readers. Megan lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family.

Kim Ryall Woolcock has always loved books and biology. She has an honors degree in literature from UBC and a master's in biology from Duke University. A full-time science writer and editor, Kim lives on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, with her family.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

Chapter 1 Inventions Gone Wild

How Does Nature Design? 8

Natural Materials 10

Royal Purple 10

From Parachutes to Toothbrushes 12

Oily Outfit 12

Miracle Material…or Not? 13

Flying Fruit 14

There is No "Away" 15

A Lawn Where the Cactus Should Be 15

Chapter 2 Nature as Engineer

It's Easy Being Green 16

Pull Yourself Together! 18

Stuck on You 19

Green Chemistry 19

Powerful Patterns 20

Brainless Chatter 22

Clean as Dirt 22

Nature's Apprentices 23

Chapter 3 Asking Advice from Nature

Psst…Hey Nature…What Would You Do? 24

From Beaks to Bullet Trains 25

Nicer Needles 26

Sugar-Coated Medicines 26

Spotless as Shark Skin 27

Light It Up, Firefly 27

Super-Sticky Gecko Tape 28

Catch the Rain(water) 28

Stronger Than Steel, Made Like Yogurt 29

Roaches to the Rescue! 29

Cat-Brained Computing 30

Batteries from Beaches? 31

Chapter 4 Reducing Our Footprint

Looking Back to Look Forward 32

Natures Building Blocks 34

Forest in the City 35

Chill Out 36

Germs Dyed My Clothes 37

Fishy Wind Farms 38

Watch, Learn, Invent 38

The Land of Tomorrow 41

Acknowledgments 42

Resources 43

Glossary 44

Index 46

Editorial Reviews

The approachable text, supported by lots of captioned photos, spotlights some of nature's more remarkable innovations and some engineering feats inspired by nature.

The Horn Book

This book is excellent introduction to biomimicry that will be useful for classrooms, home-schoolers, or parents looking to introduce these important concepts to their children.

The Ormsby Review

An essential STEM resource. Highly Recommended.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

★ 02/01/2021

Gr 4–7—This fascinating title takes a deep dive into the wonders of nature. Four chapters are featured: "Inventions Gone Wild," "Nature As Engineer," "Asking Advice from Nature," and "Reducing Our Footprint." The text makes connections between familiar items, such as comparing the materials in a child's cocoa mug to the space shuttle's super-tough ceramic. There are surprising facts: Synthetic fibers won't decompose for 20 to 200 years and a plastic drinking straw will last 500 years or longer. Readers learn the history of how items were made with natural materials. For example, in Roman times, purple dye was made from snail slime, which was left out in the sun until it turned purple. Present applications of materials are also explained, and the text indicates that there is much more to discover. Readers might have a future job in biomimicry that doesn't currently exist. Color photos complement the text and depict white and BIPOC children. The back matter includes resources (print, online, and TED Talks), a glossary, and an index. VERDICT An appealing resource sure to spark an interest in biomimicry, from casual readers to budding scientists. Recommended for all libraries.—Helen Foster James, Univ. of California at San Diego

School Library Journal

2020-12-15
Learn how scientists and kids are working to save the planet.

Biomimicry has been used across the fields of science and design, affecting things from apparel to urban planning. This title provides an overview of how both scientists and young people are using concepts found in nature to improve the environment, the food supply, and their health. Specialized vocabulary introduced in the text is printed in boldface italics, queuing readers to check out the glossary for definitions. Examples covered are fascinating: Some readers may know how burrs became the inspiration for Velcro, but how many have heard that the mosquito proboscis is the model for needles that deliver less-painful injections? For curious readers, the title may be too cursory, as the many facts are breezed past speedily, and some are not explored beyond the briefest mentions. For example, William Henry Perkin discovered mauveine, one of the first synthetic dyes, but the substance is referred to only as “black gunk” in the book. Readers who want to know more will be left on their own, especially as the list of resources is a single page of limited suggestions. The multiple full-color photographs that adorn each page can be equally uninformative, as when a weaver bird is shown in its elaborate home but both bird and nest are unlabeled.

This fascinating topic deserves depth to match its breadth. (index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews