The Parchyma Shoe

For our school's elective term in Bio-mimicry, we have learned sustainable development by incorporating nature's characteristics into human life. We discussed the time line of existence and how young our species is compared to other organisms that have been evolving for billions of years. Our studies focused on processes and patterns in nature such as photosynthesis, the Fibonacci Sequence, the Principal of Adaption, the Gaia theory, and Life's Principles. We visited a sustain-ably developed company named Interface. They sell rug flooring that is inspired by the randomized patterns of nature's color pallets. The material they use is damaged fish nets. The company purchases them from fishermen in the Philippines so that they aren't discarded into the ocean. Interface spoke about how their mission centralizes on bio-mimicry. The adhesive to install the rug is inspired by the microscopic hairs on a gecko's underfoot, and the rug does not come in a bundle. They are tiles installed onto the floor so as not to waste material, time, or money. Our class also visited the Lincoln Park Conservatory to view the Fibonacci patterns in the plants and reflect on their adaptions to the environment. Our overall goal has been to innovate nature into a human problem to add a sustainable solution. This is for the benefit of the planet and the survival of existence as one.

From this unit I learned about how Life Principles between humans and nature are different and how that needs to change. Collaboration and sustainability is essential to prolong what we have been breaking down with toxic habits.