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November 30, 2007
“BIOMIMICRY: INNOVATION INSPIRED BY
NATURE” TO BE DISCUSSED Biomimicry, a science that studies ways to adapt natural designs and processes to solve problems in the human world, will be discussed in the upcoming Conservation Café program, on Friday, November 30, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. This free program is open to anyone with an interest in this new science, including designers, architects, engineers, conservationists, educators, students and the general public. Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a relatively new science that studies nature, its models, systems, processes and elements and then imitates or takes creative inspiration from them to solve human problems in a way that supports sustainability. One example of biomimicry is studying the patterns of a leaf to create a better solar cell. Probably the most famous example is one that dates back to 1948, when the Swiss engineer George de Mestral was cleaning his dog of burrs picked up on a walk when he realized how the hooks of the burrs clung to the fur. The result was Velcro.
Adiel Gavish, of Federated Conservationists of Westchester County and a sustainability strategist with Cameron-Cole, LLC, will open the program with a discussion of “Drawing from Nature’s Reservoir of Design Knowledge.” Mark H. Dorfman, a green-chemistry naturalist with the Biomimicry Guild, will discuss nature’s way of problem-solving using chemistry. The Biomimicry Guild is a consultancy firm that helps companies and communities “find, vet, understand and emulate life's time-tested strategies.” Randy Woodard of Cabbage Hill Farm in Mount Kisco will discuss creating a closed-loop business system. Cabbage Hill Farm is a non-profit organization dedicated to the practice of sustainable agriculture and aquaponics, and to the preservation of the small farm. A question-and-answer period will be included. Following the presentation there will be a roundtable discussion on the topic. Participants are invited to continue the conversation until 12 noon. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. Participants are encouraged to help save the environment by bringing their own coffee mug. The Conservation Café and Conversations on Conservation (CoC) provide forum for dialogue about current environmental issues. Private citizens, members of concerned organizations, municipal planners and others hear the latest information and have an opportunity to network. The program is sponsored by Westchester County’s Parks and Planning departments, Pace University, Friends of Westchester County Parks, the Greenburgh Nature Center, Teatown Lake Reservation and Federated Conservationists of Westchester County. Reservations are requested; please call the County Parks Department at (914) 864-7047 by Wednesday, November 28 to confirm your attendance and for directions. The Westchester County Center is located at 198 Central Avenue in White Plains, adjacent to Route 119 (Tarrytown Road) and the Bronx River Parkway. Parking in the County Center lot is $5 per car before 9 a.m. Detailed directions to the County Center are available by logging on to www.countycenter.biz.
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