September 21, 2022 is Zero Emissions Day—a day created by the US Department of Energy to highlight the significance of protecting our environment from harmful emissions. But what’s beyond Zero Emissions?
At Biomimicry 3.8, we are guiding leaders in the business world towards positive solutions, ones that not only go beyond zero emissions, but work at an ecosystem scale to emerge with regenerative outcomes—giving back to the environment and the community. We believe that biomimicry is a viable path for a regenerative world.
A regenerative approach puts Life at the center of all intentions: cultivating a society that is oriented beyond survival and towards flourishing, and a business mindset that maximizes the health of the planet, alongside its profits. Actions are regenerative when they have a positive effect on the other patterns or systems of which they are a part. Regenerative solutions create conditions for Life and our communities to thrive.
For the last 25+ years, Biomimicry 3.8 has brought together forward-thinking organizations with a bold, regenerative vision of the future—including Interface, Microsoft, Ford, Google, Jacobs, Kohler, and others. Project Positive is a group of change-agents dedicated to raising the bar on what acting sustainably means—driven by a sense of urgency to move beyond arbitrary reduction goals, to science-based targets and actions that are actually generous to the ecosystems, employees, and communities in which they operate. The group gathers once a year at a summit to collectively share lessons and explore strategies to meet aspirational targets.
This past month, we hosted a Project Positive Summit, bringing together members, collaborators, and new partners to share lessons learned and best practices to further advance the impact, integration, and application of biomimicry to support the transition to a regenerative world. At the end of the two days in Montana, the group successfully identified key moves and milestones to help businesses move closer to becoming regenerative enterprises. The B3.8 team, together with collaborators from Jacobs, HOK Architects, EcoMetrix Solution Group, Dow Chemical, and the Ellen McArthur Foundation, outlined bold visions for what is possible.
Over the coming months we will be capturing feedback loops, cultivating cooperative relationships, and integrating development with growth, along with the practice of several other Life’s Principles, to advance and codify the collective courageousness of the Project Positive collaborative. We invite you to learn more about Project Positive here. Read on to learn what we have been up to at Biomimicry 3.8 and what we have to look forward to!
-Nicole Miller, Managing Director of Biomimicry 3.8
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
DISCOVER NATURE’S GENIUS
Costa Rica | December 5–11, 2022
Experience biomimicry in one of our most biodiverse workshop biomes as you explore the rainforests, mangroves, cloud forests, and reefs of Costa Rica for a hands-on introduction to nature’s genius. Discover better ways to innovate via the methodology that change-makers around the world are using to create sustainable, disruptive innovations, helping solve some of Earth’s most pressing challenges. Register here, we only have a few spots left!
BIOMIMICRY THINKING FOR DESIGN AND INNOVATION
Mill Valley, California, USA | March 6-11, 2023
Explore how intelligence from nature can elevate your design process and lead to cutting-edge, effective, and sustainable innovations. Join us among California’s redwoods for a training experience designed to equip you with the framework to help conceive, create, and implement ideas inspired by nature’s genius. Register and learn more about the workshop here.
WHERE WE’LL BE…
next month—October 2022
REBUILD CONFERENCE
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
October 5, 2022
Nicole Miller, Managing Director at Biomimicry 3.8, will be giving a Keynote Address at the 2022 REBUILD Conference this October at the Sharonville Convention Center in Cincinnati. The REBUILD Conference brings sustainability leaders together to celebrate advancement, advocate for further change, and network to connect with others in the region. The conference creates dialogue around positive solutions by sharing motivating, real-world stories and data-driven outcomes.
SUSTAINABLE BRANDS
San Diego, California, USA
October 17-19, 2022
Sustainable Brands 2022 (SB’22) is the global event for regenerative brands and leaders. This year it is being held in Omni La Costa, Carlsbad, California, and the theme is Recenter & Accelerate: defining and demonstrating paths to good growth and unlocking the power of sustainable and regenerative business.
The work of Biomimicry 3.8 will be present at multiple sessions throughout SB’22—from Janine Benyus as a featured speaker at the Plenary Welcome Panel, to Biomimic Zeynep Arhon on the session ‘Regenerative Frameworks in Strategic Design: Principles and tools for integrating a regenerative approach into operations and supply chain’. Furthermore, Microsoft’s Director of Biomimicry, Kaitlin Chuzi—a Biomimicry 3.8 Certified Biomimicry Professional—is speaking at a session on ‘Regenerative Design: Circularity and Nature Based Solutions’.
Learn more about Sustainable Brands ‘22 and join us with this discount code for 20% off: SPK20!
FEATURED
ANNOUNCING THE 2022-2024 BPROFESSIONAL COHORT
Congratulations to Our Future BPros!
Biomimicry 3.8 is excited to welcome 16 new people into our community—as members of the 2022-2024 Certified Biomimicry Professional (BPro) cohort! The cohort includes professionals from Australia, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Thailand, and the United States, working in a broad range of industries—including biology, engineering, social innovation, and design, as well as new disciplines at the interstices and edges of fields. The globally-renowned BPro program is a part time, two year course that integrates an accredited Master of Science in Biomimicry degree through Arizona State University with in-person immersions run by Biomimicry 3.8. The core purpose of the program is to train and mobilize an international, networked community of professional biomimics who become the leaders in this burgeoning practice. Join us in congratulating the sixth BPro cohort!
NORTH CASCADES WORKSHOP
Discovering Nature’s Genius in the Pacific Northwest
In June, we held our first immersion workshop since the start of the pandemic—Discover Nature’s Genius for Social Innovation—with 22 participants in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! While at the North Cascades Institute in the heart of North Cascades National Park, Toby Herzlich, founder of Biomimicry for Social Innovation, and Dayna Baumeister, cofounder of Biomimicry 3.8, offered a deeper look into the world of biomimicry as applied to growing resilient organizations and fostering a regenerative society.
Matilde Orduz Trujillo, Project Manager at Atarraya Uniandes described the experience as, “a very inspiring week, filled with generous knowledge and interesting conversations, not only with the facilitators, but also with very passionate people from all around the world and disciplines. I loved learning about the connection between nature and the change we can create in society and our role in doing so.” Join us for our next immersion workshops—Costa Rica in December and Mill Valley, CA in March.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORKSHOPS
EMF SUMMIT 22, OMVED GARDENS, SERPENTINE GALLERIES
Biomimicry 3.8 Goes to the UK!
In July, our very own Janine Benyus took a trip to the UK to meet with Kate Raworth, the renegade economist behind Doughnut Economics! There, the dynamic duo gave a talk at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Summit 22, Regenerative by Design. They discussed the transformation we are seeing from individuals to communities, governmental bodies, and corporations all shifting their mindset towards a nature-positive perspective and learning from nature to live in balance and reciprocity with the environment—for the benefit of all. They were later joined by Dame Ellen MacArthur, the founder of the Foundation, to talk about how doughnut economics, circular economy, and biomimicry ideas work together synergistically towards creating a regenerative vision of the future. Watch the session here or listen to the podcast. Additionally, during her whirlwind week in the United Kingdom, Janine had a chance to sit with Kate for a one-on-one conversation with Serpentine Galleries’ Back to Earth Project—check out their discussion here.
STAFF GATHERING IN MONTANA
We’ve Been Busy This Summer!
In late June, the entire team at Biomimicry 3.8 was lucky enough to gather in the beautiful expanse of Tom Miner Basin in Montana, at the site of the Common Ground Project. Over the course of four incredible days on the Anderson Ranch, we spoke with Dr. Ren Freeman, Director of the Indigenous Research Center for Salish Kootenai College and walked alongside horses with equine therapist Malou Anderson-Ramirez. We listened to the land, the laughter of the coyotes floating over to our campfire under the star-lit night, and, of course, each other. We embraced new staff members, celebrated the milestones of veteran teammates, and shared laughter-induced tears from Dayna and Janine’s 25 years of friendship, teamwork, and stories. Conversations continued about the future of Biomimicry 3.8, and how we might demonstrate that biomimicry is a viable path for a regenerative world.
As we look toward that future, excited for what and who it holds, we’re happy to announce that we’re looking for an Account Manager to join our team. We’ll be posting more about the role on our career page soon, so stay tuned!