“A world that shimmers in different moss green shades can be as beautiful as a colourful coral reef.” Biomimicry with Theo & Tuva: Nature spotting inspires wild ideas
Theo & Tuva are exploring nature in the warm spring sun, on warm summer days when the rain is pouring down, when the snow sparkles and on beautiful autumn days.
The green moss carpet is hiding wonderful secrets. Yet, it is so easy to miss the moss when it is growing everywhere in the garden, the forest, or on old park benches.
Biomimicry is a way to use nature as inspiration and to learn from nature to solve problems. The book about Theo & Tuva aims to inspire nature spotting and to use these in a creative way.
Mosses are perfect air purifiers and exhaust detectors. How would you design a school inspired by moss?
But moss can also flutter in the wind! Perfect inspiration for a poem or story.
The video below was taken by late Andreas Kay in the rainforest of Ecuador. It shows the exquisite stick insect (Trychopeplus thaumasius). The mossy moves start at around 33 seconds, and they are a treat!
You can find his amazing videos here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.