Earth Day is celebrated globally on April 22nd. In 2024, the theme is Planet vs. Plastic, and the aim is to shift our attitudes and actions concerning plastic usage. Reducing plastic pollution is vital since it is becoming clearer the devasting impact that plastic pollution has on human and animal health and the overall ecological balance of our planet.
Plastic pollution significantly threatens marine ecosystems, causing problems on beaches and landscapes. You can find plastic clogging waste streams and landfills. Plastic waste can be found almost everywhere, from oceans, lakes, rivers and mountains. This widespread pollution is visually unsightly but also harmful to plants and wildlife.
Visualising the scale of plastic pollution, especially for young children, can be challenging. However, the escalation of plastics in our oceans can be demonstrated by comparing estimates of plastic debris in oceans. In 2017, it was estimated that there were 51 trillion microplastics in the oceans. The figure soared to an estimated 171 trillion pieces of plastic floating around in our oceans in 2023. This highlights the alarming rate at which plastic pollution is increasing in marine habitats. Surprisingly, the sea has more microplastics than stars in the Milky Way!
Another way to help children visualise the problem with plastic pollution is to ask them to imagine all the fish in the ocean and then think about how much they would weigh. Quite a lot! It is estimated that by 2050, there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish—by weight.
Books about Marine Life and Plastic Pollution
“If you are looking for a lovely picture book to gently help young children learn about ocean plastic, ocean pollution, and the importance of limiting plastic use and recycling, grab a copy of The Whale Who Ate Plastic. It’s an excellent opening for further discussion about protecting the natural world.”
The Sea Book is featuring fascinating, fishy fun facts accompanied by bright, bold, and beautiful illustrations. This book takes children on a journey through the sea and all its zones.”
In the informative book,What A Waste: Rubbish, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet, you will find everything you need to know about our environment. The good, the bad, and the incredibly innovative. From pollution and litter to renewable energy and plastic recycling.
This educational book will teach young budding ecologists how our actions affect planet Earth and the big impact we can make through the little things we do.
Did you know that every single plastic toothbrush ever made still exists? Or that a floating mass of rubbish is larger than the USA, drifting around the Pacific Ocean?
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.
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