I love frosty mornings when everything is covered with sugary ice. The garden reminds me of Sleeping Beauty. The world has gone into a long, much-needed rest to breathe and gather strength. But there is actually plenty of life, beauty and wonder even on a frosty, cold winter morning.
The core of biomimicry is to observe nature. It takes time and patience to learn to listen and learn from animals, plants and fungi. Nature does not always reveal its strategies and functions easily. Functions and strategies are fundamental to biomimicry practice.
Wintery trees with their bare branches are perfect for studying in the winter. Trees are the lungs of the natural world, but how do trees without any leaves breathe in the winter?
How has the tree adapted to the cold weather?
What happens to the roots?
Are the roots dormant during the winter?
A function is the purpose of something, and an organism meets its functional needs through biological strategies. In biomimicry, functions can refer to either the role played by an organism’s adaptations or behaviours that enable it to survive. But function can also refer to something that your design solution should do. A biological strategy is the adaptations that the organism has made to survive.
When kids are inventing something inspired by nature, you could ask them what they want their design to do. Try to shift the focus from what you are making to what functions you are designing something for.
“What do you wish that your design can do?”
Tree shapes have inspired many designs such as homes, concert halls and public spaces. Many of these are bioinspired designs rather than biomimicry.
Ask yourself what a design inspired by trees in winter would do.
Would it be able to preserve energy and wake up on demand during certain types of weather? This design could be inspired by the roots of deciduous trees in the winter. Most roots remain mostly inactive during winter, but they can function and grow whenever soil temperatures are favourable. The roots can grow and develop even if the air above the ground is very cold. The roots are resting by they are always prepared. Another idea might be a house that can react to earthquakes.
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.