Below are a couple of videos about sea urchins. These global and spiny echinoderms are often very pretty, and they come in a variety of colours. They can be found on the sea beds of every ocean. Like most things in nature, balance is vital – and too many sea urchins can severely influence an ecosystem.
By eating sea urchins, sea otters help kelp forests to thrive. Find out more about why sea urchins are taking over the sea beds.
Åsa Jomård and TheBeezyTeacher are happy to announce the release of their second book – Orla’s Golden Blanket: Sea Otters’ Secret to a Bright Blue Future.
About the Book
An otterly lovely gift for every nature lover�
Go ahead, dive in! It’s pleasurable, really. You’ll explore golden kelp forests and learn about the importance that sea otters play in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. Sea otters are playful and always hungry. They love kelping and playing in the underwater forests. But how can a kelp forest disappear? And more importantly, how can Orla and her friend help to restore their magical playground? The book is filled with amazing real-life photos of Otters and is sure to ignite questions about topics like the protection of our oceans.
Give your young reader the gift of love for nature with Orla’s Golden Blanket: Sea otters’ secret to a bright blue future. Order your copy now and watch as they learn about the change to our oceans, but also explore how playful otters eating sea urchins can help to fight climate change by keeping underwater seaweed healthy. The overall message is that playing in kelp forests is fun as well as vital. Sea otters are cute to watch, but they play a vital role in making sure that we have a bright blue future. They contribute to the superpower of blue carbon – a natural climate solution!
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.