WORKSHOP: Biomimicry - Educating a New Generation of Leaders in Sustainability - San Diego Zoo, October 2, 2009

为了减缓土地和资源的持续退化，人类看待自然世界、利用自然资源以及与环境互动的方式必须发生变革性的变化。仿生学是将自然的设计解决方案应用于人类设计和创新的学科。大自然是世界上最大的研发实验室，数十亿年来一直在测试和重新测试生物设计和策略。大自然的解决方案是闭合的，与生态系统和谐一致。通过学习按照自然界中观察到的原则来设计、制造和生活，就可以开发出改变我们世界所需的工具。该研讨会的目标是召集商界、政策界和教育界的成员，了解生物仿生的变革性元素，展望自然在教育和创新中发挥作用的未来，并共同确定充分利用生物仿生所代表的潜力的途径。这个工作坊将突出那些曾经正式和非正式教授仿生学的教育者，讨论仿生学如何成为一种特别有效的学习工具。它还将以开发仿生产品和解决方案的商界领袖为特色。这些创新领导者将从产业和可持续发展的角度讨论基于仿生技术开发和商业化产品的挑战，以及他们产品的意义。最后，将有圣地亚哥动物园的仿生之旅和展示现有仿生发明的发明大会。这次研讨会将是首批集中讨论仿生技术在工业和社会中的影响的社区讨论之一。组织者认为，仿生学作为一门科学学科，将在未来的创新中发挥关键作用。未来将需要可持续和闭环系统的产品和工艺。如果学生、科学家和商界领袖能够学习根据自然界中观察到的原则进行设计和制造的原则，这些原则就可以用来开发可持续生存所需的工具。

Transformational change in how humans view the natural world, utilize its resources, and interact with the environment is necessary to alleviate continued degradation of land and resources. Biomimicry is the discipline of applying nature's design solutions to human design and innovation. Nature is the world's largest research and development laboratory, and has been testing and retesting biological designs and strategies for billions of years. Nature's solutions are closed loop and in harmony with the ecosystem. By learning to design, manufacture, and live according to principles observed in nature, the tools needed to transform our world can be developed. The goal of this workshop is to convene members of the business, policy, and educational communities to learn about the transformative elements of biomimicry, envision a future where nature plays a role in education and innovation, and jointly determine the path for fully utilizing the potential that biomimicry represents. This workshop will highlight educators who have taught biomimicry both formally and informally, to discuss how biomimicry can be an exceptionally effective tool for learning. It will also feature business leaders who have developed biomimetic products and solutions. These innovative leaders will discuss the challenges of developing and commercializing products based on biomimicry, as well as the significance of their products from the perspective of industry and sustainability. Finally, there will be a biomimicry tour of the San Diego Zoo and an Invention Convention showcasing existing biomimetic inventions. This workshop will be one of the first community-wide discussions focused on the impact of biomimicry in industry and society. It is the contention of the organizers that biomimicry as a scientific discipline will play a key role in future innovation. The future will require products and processes that are sustainable and closed loop. If students, scientists and business leaders can be taught to learn principles of design and manufacture according to principles observed in nature, those principles can be used to develop the tools needed to live sustainably.