By Mary Hoff for Ensia.com
What can an engineer learn from a eucalyptus? Or a package designer from a pangolin? When it comes to sustainability, plenty.
From Hollywood stars to Silicon Valley geniuses, California is known for its talent pools. Among the most talented — and perhaps least appreciated — is shuffling, scurrying, diving and thriving in the heart of San Diego at the San Diego Zoo.
The animals and plants that make their homes there — more than 700,000 species in all — know how to do the most astounding things, from freeze solid without harm to turn colors at will. Now, thanks to a zoo initiative known as the Center for Bioinspiration, businesses and others are able to tap those talents as a source of design ideas.
The center, a division of San Diego Zoo Global, uses its massive biodiversity base to connect clients with the spectrum of solutions nature has come up with over billions of years of evolution to design challenges such as combining strength and flexibility, reducing the need for harsh chemicals, or improving aerodynamics. The result benefits both the environment and the business’s bottom line, as nature’s elegant solutions not only boost appreciation for (and so desire to protect) biodiversity, but also typically improve efficiency and reduce waste.
“The zoo has always been interested in conservation, in connecting people to wildlife and inspiring people to care and take positive action toward having a more sustainable or responsible place in the ecosystem,” says Gabriel Miller, director of research and development for the center. “It’s another way to engage people around the value of nature … not as something to dominate or control, but to be inspired by and create mindfully alongside.”
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