Often the take home message for students in environmental science classes is that humans are the problem in the decline of environmental health. Students can be left feeling overwhelmed and hopeless in the face of these complicated issues. Learning about positive solutions and ways to take meaningful action are powerful ways to rejuvenate optimism. The integration of the concepts of biomimicry can accomplish these two goals simultaneously. Biomimicry is not a familiar term to many. Therefore, the review of the literature begins with the definition of biomimicry. There has not been formal integration of this concept into education or environmental science curriculum. Therefore I explore the science of biomimicry and tie it to current research on environmental education as an integrating concept in order to demonstrate the potential fit of biomimicry in curriculum.

In previewing the state of environmental education, its positive learning outcomes and the support for environmental-based learning in our schools are revealed. However, due to the overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating a seemingly hopeless state of the environment, a constructive solution-based curriculum in environmental science is important. Biomimicry is the suggested guiding principal for what I consider to be a paradigm shift to creative and problem-based learning necessary for education toward sustainability. In the words of a leading scholar of biomimicry Janine Benyus (2004), "I know all of the statistics of destruction, but I've chosen to come to this out of love , because I love this place. And I want to stay here. I want to stay home" (p5).

Biomimicry Defined Biomimicry (also biomimickry) is the conscious copying of examples and mechanisms from natural organisms and ecologies. It is a form of applied case-based reasoning, treating nature itself as a database of solutions that already work. Proponents argue that all natural life forms minimize and ecological niches remove failures. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomimicry, 2005)

In nature, there are many examples of mimicry in which one species imitates the good design of another in order to benefit within the environment. A famous example is the Viceroy butterfly, which mimics the flashy orange and black warning coloration of the toxic and bitter tasting Monarch butterfly, thereby avoiding being eaten although a tasty and relatively harmless prey. The military has long looked to nature to inspire camouflage strategies (Forbes, 2003), protective gear (Bragdon, 2005), sonar technology, and more recently surveillance and reconnaissance robots (McLean, 1999; Stone 1999).

Scientists engaged in the study of biomimicry, sometimes known as biomimetics, are also looking to nature to find solutions for stronger more durable materials, adhesives, and medicinal cures. They are working on everything from canes inspired by bat sonar to aid the blind to the new shark skin inspired Speedo™ swim suit (Harvey, 2004). Think tanks such as the Rocky Mountain Institute are using the biomimicry paradigm to take on manufacturing that addresses some of architecture's greatest challenges: color, adhesion, dehumidification, materials, protection, responsiveness, and more. (Baumeister, 2004; Lovins, et al., 2002).

This is an exciting time for the study of Biomimetic, Bionics, or described here as Biomimicry. Our technology is finally advanced enough that we are able to probe to the molecular and mechanistic levels of biology while our engineering library is growing in its fabrication techniques and abilities (Collyer, 2001; Dickinson, 1999). The ingenious designs of nature go beyond time-tested feats of engineering. Nature creates its products in ways that do not require the "heat, beat, and treat" methods of human industry (Benyus, 2002). In addition, it is all accomplished with resources available locally and without the creation of problematic waste. "Biomimicry is a new way of viewing and valuing nature. It introduces an era based not on what we can extract from the natural world, but on what we can learn from it" (Benyus, 2002, introduction). When we "look to nature as a teacher" as Janine Benyus has suggested, we have an entirely new lens in which to look for solutions (2002). These bio-pioneers, or bioneers, can be farmers who are looking to nature for answers to soil fertility (The Land Institute); water treatment centers for help in filtration (Ausubel, K., 1997; 2004; Lerner, S., 1997); and economists looking for models in sustainable business practices (Hawken, et al., 2000; Lerner, S., 1997). Doing it nature's way has the potential to change the way we grow food, make materials, harness energy, heal ourselves, store information, and conduct business. In each case, nature would be model, measure, and mentor (Benyus, Biomimicry Explained, FAQs 9).

Einstein wisely stated "[t]he significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them" (as quoted in Benyus, 2002, p247). It is time to both acknowledge the difficult issues that face the integrity of ecosystem health as we know it and venture whole-heartedly to find solutions. True adoption of a biomimicry based view of business and industry takes innovative and interdisciplinary teams. No longer can economists or material chemists do without the input of biologists and ecologists. Providing for our needs by sustainable means involves new ways of integrating ideas, pioneering research, and problem-solving in ways that involve dropping assumptions and being humble before 38 million years of evolutionary design. This big thinking is why Janine Benyus was awarded Cultural Thinker of 2002 by Sputnik, and has been asked to speak at colleges, conferences, and companies around the world. She has been asked to sit in on meetings with major designers such as Nike and Interface, Inc. (Buckminster Fuller Institute, 2001), biologists, and even government dignitaries, such as Prince Charles in January (Bragdon, C., 2005).

As Janine Benyus (2002) sees it, there are 10 simple lessons we can learn from nature and apply to all things; including business, agriculture, science and our lives. Organisms in mature ecosystems:

1. Use waste as a resource

2. Diversify and cooperate to fully use the habitat 3. Gather and use energy efficiently
4. Optimize rather than maximize
5. Use materials sparingly
6. Don't foul their nests
7. Don't draw down resources
8. Remain in balance with the biosphere
9. Run on information
10. Shop locally (pp. 254-5)

Secondary education is an arena ripe for introducing this fresh way of looking at our problems and engaging in a solution-oriented interdisciplinary curriculum. Environmental science curriculum already explores the human systems and their implications on the environment in which we are nested. Environmental issues traverse geo-political boundaries and traditional discipline boundaries; they encompass the life sciences (biology, earth sciences), social studies (economics, anthropology, geography, and history), and the humanities (philosophy, the arts, ethics and literature). (Haury, D., 1998; 2002; National Forum Project Supporting Environmental Education, 1996). It is my belief that biomimicry, with its roots in integrated systems functioning, can serve as a guiding concept to aid students in thinking about solutions to the problems that cross over these traditional boundaries.

The State of Environmental Education

Biomimicry has implications for incorporation in many different disciplines. The most accessible area of integration would be in an environmental science course or an educational program with uses environmental education as a fulcrum or foundation. For the purpose of this paper environmental education (EE) is defined as: educational efforts that increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues while providing critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective decision-making skills. The main goal of EE is for people of all ages to know enough about environmental science and related social issues to make sound and well-reasoned environmental decisions. (NEETF, 2002) Inherent in the application of biomimicry in the curriculum is acceptance of environmental education as an integral part of an educational program. The American public shows support for environmental education in the school system. In addition, many scientists acknowledge the importance of ecological principals being taught in order to prepare the next generation for lifestyle and governmental decisions. However, one finds educational systems are not universally integrating these concepts into schools.

Public Opinion of EE

A 1992 opinion poll by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) reported that 2/3 of Americans polled believed that "environmental problems are so important that solutions must be found regardless of cost" (Zimmerman, 1996, Abstract). The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF) has commissioned Roper Starch Worldwide to conduct a survey of adult Americans (representative sample of 1,505 Americans, age 18 and older) about their views on the environment and education annually since 1992. Over the past few years, Americans seemed to have settled into a consistent result pattern. The most recent report (2001) shows that Americans say that a balance between the environment and the economy is required for prosperity. Fully 89% either strongly or mostly agree that "the condition of the environment will play an increasingly important role in the nation's economic future" (p. 2). Thus, Americans believe that environmental protection and economic development must be achieved together to ensure a vibrant nation. Still, when people are asked to choose between environmental protection and economic development, 71% say they would choose the environment. However, everyday actions by adults in support of the environment are showing a slight fall-off, and environmental "illiteracy" remains widespread (p.3).

There seems to be a major discrepancy between what Americans believe and desire, and what is currently practiced by industries and academia. In 1999 only 100 of 700+ business management schools even offered courses on the interface of business and the environment, let alone required them. Medical students train an average of 6 hours of environmental medicine in their 4 years of training. And although environmental education is becoming an increasing part of state standards, less than 10% of teachers'/credentialing colleges require a course in environmental education to teach at the elementary or secondary level. (Bogo, 1999). And even as states incorporate environmental education into their standards the majority of schools have not received adequate curriculum materials or training (Benetti, 2002; Poore, 1993).

Education about the environment is essential, and needs to become a more central principal of our schools. In order to be better stewards of the environment, the primary step is to ensure the information is available (Gang, 2004). The NEETF survey found 95% of those adult Americans (including 95% of parents) believe that environmental education should be taught in our K-12 schools. (p1). The World Commission of Environmental Development (1987) specifically states that teacher training is crucial for the development of a sustainable society. (Ekbourg, 2003). Indeed, educators who are teaching about global issues, from the environment to human rights, are "very much on the cultural frontline" in their job to interpret the state of the world to their students" (Steiner quoted in Hicks, 1998). Well-balanced and problem-based curricula are essential resources for our teachers.

Ecoliteracy

Supplying students with this foundation of environmental knowledge is now being referred to as ecoliteracy. "Environmentally literate students and adults should be able to use and apply the basic ecological concepts when considering environmental problems or issues" (Munsen, 1994, p. 1). Biomimicry stands out as a means for insuring the goals that Americans seem to hold. It augments science education as well as environmental education, while at the same time fostering concepts necessary for sustainable economics.

Sustainability means living as part of the web of life; and therefore, building communities in which we can satisfy our needs and hopes without diminishing the chances of future generations of humans and other species. For this task we can learn valuable lessons from the study of ecosystems, which are sustainable communities of plants, animals and microorganisms. To understand these lessons, we need to learn the basic principles of ecology. We need to become, as it were ecologically literate. Becoming ecologically literate, or ecoliterate, means understanding the principles of organization of ecological communities (ecosystems), and using those principles for creating sustainable communities. (Capra, 1996, p. 297). If we compare present western human behavior to biological systems, we have been acting like what ecologists refer to as a Type I species. These are the pioneer species that move in rapidly after a disturbance and take over an area. Imagine the wildflowers, grasses, and weeds that rapidly spring up after a forest fire. Their strategy is opportunity and stealth. They take more resources than they return because they are not invested in the long term health of the ecosystem. However in time, like the hare and the tortoise, slower growing species which take the time to nurture soil and put down roots begin to shade out the type I species. Eventually you have a climax community, like an old growth forest. These communities must necessarily commit to investing in the future because they cannot move on, and therefore depend on interrelationships to keep energy and matter exchanging.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the Type I strategy, so long as there is a new open patch of land for the species to take over (Benyus, 2002). There was a time when there seemed to be a limitless supply of land, water and resources for human exploitation. However, now we know that our resources are finite and that there are more humans than ever before. It is time for a shift of strategies. It is time for us to start acting like we are part of a mature ecosystem. Therefore, we need to stop clinging to the pioneer strategy that we employed (and of which Americans were even proud) for so long.

The teaching of interconnectedness is a critical aspect of education for a sustainable future. These interconnections lie in the underpinnings of the universe, elucidated by quantum physics. In this science mathematics is used to describe the behavior of subatomic particles. We find that matter, of which we are all made up, is not a bunch of things, but a series of relationships (Capra, 1996). On a larger scale we see this in the balancing dynamic of symbiotic and predator prey relationships that construct ecosystems. "These, then, are some of the basic principles of ecology- interdependence, recycling, partnership, flexibility, diversity, and as a consequence of all those, sustainability" (Capra, 1996, p. 304).

The Roper Starch survey (2001), in addition to surveying American opinions about environmental education, also included a basic knowledge quiz. The results of this quiz indicate that "Americans lack the basic knowledge and are unprepared to respond to the major environmental challenges we face in the 21st century" (NEETF, 2001, p. 1). And yet we see that the need is great. The need is also being recognized by world leaders as they have begun meeting in earnest to discuss the importance of sustainability at global conferences, The Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and in Johannesburg in 2002; the Montreal Protocol, and the Kyoto Protocol of 1998, all demonstrate that environmental problems are being acknowledged by governments from around the world. To accomplish this task we can learn valuable lessons from the study of ecosystems, which are sustainable communities of plants, animals, and microorganisms (Capra, 1996; Orr, 1992).

With many environmental issues becoming more complex and pervasive, we are no longer able to depend solely on a few experts. A stronger public understanding of environmental science is a growing necessity (Coyle, 2004; Tapia & Blochman Eds., 2000). It is important that we are supplying our students with scientific foundations to compensate for the media barrage of misinformation that they must sort through every day. Indeed, as Aldo Leopold, the father of ecology, stated "[b]iological education is a means of building citizens" (1986, p. 208).

Ultimately how and what we teach our students has the potential to affect both attitude and knowledge base. This combination of motivation and information informs daily decisions, business choices and political interests (Heimlech, 1992). Environmental education goes beyond just learning environmental science information it also fosters the kinds of basic life skills that that are cited as necessary for success in the future. Liebermann and Hoody (1998) found that, using education about the environment as an integrating context for learning, students gain additional educational benefits, including: "a comprehensive understanding of the world; advanced thinking skills leading to discovery and real-world problem solving; and, awareness and appreciation of the diversity of viewpoints within a democratic society" (p. 2).

In addition to the knowledge base that environmental education aims to achieve, it also has a positive influence on learning in general (NEETF, 2000; 2002). Schools using environmental interdisciplinary programs are showing considerable improvements in other learning outcomes as well. In a comparison of 40 schools in 12 states Lieberman and Hoody (1998) found the overall patterns of: improved standardized testing scores, reduction of discipline problems and improved attendance, increased orientation toward service, increased parent involvement, and increased teacher participation in professional development. Indeed integrating disciplines and the use of environmental themes for problem based learning accomplished more than just the infusion of knowledge but also changes in attitude (Heimlich, 1992). Similarly, the NEETF, chartered by congress, found similar findings in a case study report of five schools in five states who adopted environmental programs as an integrating point in academic programs. (NEETF, 2000). Biomimicry, by virtue of its environmental backbone can be a part of the continuing augmentation of environmental curriculum in schools.

Environmental science is about making connections. Connections are expressed with in the interrelationships in natural systems but also disintegrate the human-made divisions between school disciplines. Integrated learning, which centers on problem-solving, teaches creativity and decision-making skills that apply to real world problems rather than abstract ones. (NEETF, 2000; 2002). Liebermann and Hoody (1998) found that students in these types of environmental based learning programs were better able to transfer what they learned in science to "to interdisciplinary tasks at school, at home and in their communities" (p. 6).

By looking at environmental issues which are part of our everyday lives students are able to learn that they can be the problem solvers and the change agents in the world. Biomimicry is an explicit way of using ecoliteracy to address real- world problems and elucidate that solutions and hope is obtainable.

Biomimicry Providing Hope in Environmental Science

"The most influential lesson I retained from the Biomimicry and Architecture course was to "re-learn" how to study with all my senses the wonderful complexity of my surroundings again, especially the natural world." (Neumann, 2004.)

\Biomimicry can serve as a fulcrum for learning issues about the environment. Indeed it is just the unifying theme that is needed in environmental education. Biomimicry provides an example that can serve as a model, a conceptual framework that permits and enhances the exploration of our world. . Instead of having to do cost benefit analysis of human health and the environment and working to clean up our messes we could instead model our systems after nature so that there are no messes to begin with.

The integration of biomimicry into environmental curriculum stands a promising new teaching paradigm for two main reasons. First, there is a need for the transference of optimism and hope in the dialog of environmental issues. Second, it is one way to address the critical importance of education for a sustainable future.

In 1997 David Sobel coined the term "ecophobia." In his paper he critiqued the practice of teaching environmental problems to children too young and thereby leaving them with a feeling of disempowerment (Sobel, 1995; 1997). Subsequently, this concept swept through the environmental education community. Certainly, it is best to first teach a love and appreciation for nature and only later increase the information and complexity. In California, our state standards follow this construct. Environmental issues are not introduced until the high school years. However, even older students can feel overwhelmed by all of the "doom and gloom" that many of the statistics reveal.

There is a growing branch of psychology often referred to as ecopsychology which addresses some of these very issues. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to delve deeply into this school of thought it can be defined to give perspective. Ecopsychology looks to expand the framework of psychiatric thought to include the natural environment. In other words, behavior leading to destruction of the natural world can have similar psychiatric effect to self-destructive behaviors; and people can harbor wounds from living in a world disconnected and destructive of nature. In addition nature is also the curative place and a source of metaphor for healing (Rozak, 2005; Roszak & Ajhar, 1993). Ecopsychology incorporates ecology, psychology, and systems' ideation within a therapeutic model in order to help individuals understand the self in relation to life's web. Ecopsychology strives to help participants improve themselves along with the environment (Feral, 1999).

The reason I introduce these concepts is that each year that I teach Environmental science (this will be my seventh) I see a pattern repeat itself. Students begin with a typical level of scientific interest as we begin the year with the study of ecology and its interactive systems. Their excitement seems to peak when they learn "fun facts", as they like to call them, about extraordinary symbiotic relationships or adaptations of organisms with in ecosystems. However, as we move into the complicated realm of human interactions in this system the "difficult facts" begin to emerge. Just the other day one of my students shared with me her feelings of being overwhelmed, despite her desire to know more: [s]ometimes I think, this is my most depressing class-even more than International Relations-and we are leaning about genocide. At least in that case I can see that it is not me, or happening here. Environmental issues are everywhere, the air, the water, our food." (High school senior, personal communication, March 7, 2005)

This is not an isolated case, David Hicks, professor at Bath University found the same thing to be true in his studies of students and educators. Students report feeling a full range of emotions from: anger, frustration, despair, indignation, cynicism and denial -to a sense of challenge and excitement (1998). Indeed even Aldo Leopold felt the burden in 1947 when he published A Sand County Almanac. He states "[o]ne of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds" (1966, p. 197). World renowned biologist Dorian Sagan puts it more bluntly; "Our ability to tap into earth's resources to power our own growth has brought us to something even more annoying than the brink of collapse of population or standards of living; it has brought us face to face with our own stupidity" (1997, p. 16).

What a solution-based education is trying to foster is pulling our minds out of denial and moving into action. Practicing the arts of biomimicry and sustainable living attempt to work to quell the cognitive dissonance between what we do on a daily basis and what we know. It is essential to limit this dissonance between our society and our beliefs, so that students (and teachers) can feel empowered, excited and proud (Huckle, 1990; Hicks, 1998).

One can look in any environmental textbook or read from a litany of respected authors and the facts reveal a grim story. Jane Goodall (1999), respected scientist, world traveler and inspirational speaker even claims, "Sometimes it is hard to be optimistic" (p. 229). She says, "Indeed, environmentalists have produced terrifying statistics that "prove" that life on planet earth is doomed, statistics computed from the rate at which rainforests are being destroyed, the greenhouse gases building up, the human population growing, and so on" (p. 232). Too much fear can block the absorption of knowledge and denial and withdrawal can be the self-defense mechanism (Tapia & Blochmann, 2000). Indeed "denial is an understandable response to the enormity of environmental and global issues" (Hicks, 1998, p. 167).

I held onto an essay of a student that I taught in my first year who so eloquently admitted what everyone in her class seemed to be thinking. "Some days I am so thankful that I have woken up from my slumber and I understand what is going on and all the connections around me; and other times I just wish I never knew-I could just get in my big car and drive to the mall without any thought. I guess that is why they say ignorance is bliss" (High school senior, personal communication, 1998). Many ecopsychologists and authors correlate this "psychic numbing" that society seems to induce with a need to cope with the disconnect between our daily actions and our perceived needs along with their rippling outcomes. (Feral, 1999; Lappe, & Lappe, 2002; Sewall, 1999).

As environmental educators we cannot simply teach one side of this environmental story- the loss. We need to balance out the losses with small victories. We cannot simply overwhelm pupil's with the world's problems, we should teach in a spirit of optimism (Huckle,1990 in Hicks, 1998). "No problem, environmental or otherwise, should be taught about at any level of education without concomitant emphasis on positive strategies for its resolution" (Hicks, 1998 p 173). There is hope, and there are people finding solutions to the problems of our time, often rendering the mundane both exciting and promising. Once we-as learners-complete the difficult step of owning the difficult information, and recognizing our 'thought traps' it is then time to turn empathy into action, and overwhelm into optimism (Lappe & Lappe, 2002). Solution-based education seeks to cultivate this shift. Biomimicry looks to nature with care and awe while at the same time seeking solutions for ourselves. That concern for something Other, something better, something not yet, is an inherent element in the human condition and one of the deep components of human creativity. It is hope which allows us to go on when conditions look bad or even impossible. It is hope which keeps possibility open. (Hicks, 1998 p. 167)

"Biomimicry is hopeful, in that it affirms: there is a way to sustain diversity and plentitude of organisms on limited resources- nature does it every day" (Powers, 2004, p. 3). It is essential to integrate environmental success stories into our curriculum and cultivate awareness of sources of optimism, there are people making changes for the better and there are new and appropriate technologies which can offer liberation (Huckle, 1990, cited in Hicks, 1998). Jeremy Eddy, who now runs the Biomimicry Curriculum Project, states: biomimicry, [is] a potentially far-reaching framework for teaching biology and design principles. Presented with interesting, contemporary design challenges, students will naturally be motivated to look deeply into nature's mechanisms, to become admirers of species ranging from sea fans to elephants, from amoebas to willow trees, in search of insights. (2004, p. 4)

Education must take a major role in preparing students for the work that lies ahead to resolve our societies' conflicts with each other and the natural systems which support life. "Ecological Education is not just about biology, it is equally about the deeper causes of biotic impoverishment, which have to do in one way or another with political behavior, institutions, and philosophies. Conservation biology is a dialog between science and political action" (Orr, 1994, p. 73). Education must be more than facts and figures. It requires a difficult look at ourselves and our behaviors. It requires science to hold hands with ethics and discussions of morality. Indeed science alone can be dangerous, as David W. Orr, professor of Environmental Studies at Oberlin University points out (1994) that most of our environmental dilemmas from toxic waste disasters to photochemical smog are the result of the ingenuity of highly educated people. Elie Wiesel once made the same point, noting that the designers and perpetrators of Auschwitz, Dachau, and Buchenwald- the Holocaust- were the heirs of Kant and Goethe, widely thought to be the best educated people on earth. But their education did not serve as an adequate barrier to barbarity. (p. 7)

According to the National Forum on Partnerships Supporting Education about the Environment's (National Forum…) report (1996) the first goal of learning is to impart knowledge. But there is much more to education. Other equally important goals are the teaching of skills such as, problem solving, conflict resolution, consensus building, information management, interpersonal expression, and critical and creative thinking. "Education encompassing the concepts of sustainability offers an exemplary vehicle for developing and exercising many of these skills which are increasingly being sought by employers" (National Forum, 1996, p. 5).

Healing at any and all levels and the understanding of the interrelationships is empowering. A student from a school participating in an academic program that used environmental based education as its fulcrum commented: "Now, I find myself trying to make connection in everything I do. It's a subconscious thing that happens. After you learn this way for two years, it just comes naturally" (Liebermann & Hoody, 1998, p. 8).

Once we face the difficult realities of what we have been a part of and realize the relationships the true solutions start to unfold before our eyes and that is exciting and empowering. (Hawken, as cited in Lang, 2003). The scientific marvels pale in comparison to what nature does each day. Biomimicry provides the ideal guiding principals to apply to our actions and open our eyes. Not only are the solutions to material problems all around us, such as better functioning adhesives or more durable surfaces, but they also can provide farther reaching solutions as well. Not only are they better in the direct function they might provide, but they do deliver their products in life-friendly ways. In other words, in order to achieve a means in nature, the ends do not result in air, water and land pollution. They don't continue to leave a chemical legacy in our environment and in our bodies. "Bringing about such a sustainable culture will require the best efforts of eco-pioneers from all over the world who are experimenting with or reviving techniques that allow humans to provide for their legitimate needs without doing substantial harm to nature." (Lerner, 1998, p. 387).

Summary

Environmental Education seeks to teach people a sense of connection to the natural systems around them and the scientific principles which guide these systems. Ecological literacy combines a mission of imparting knowledge with skills in critical analysis, problem solving and systems thinking. These proficiencies are critical tools for working towards a sustainable future. A future in which upcoming generations may enjoy things that are familiar to us, such as an abundance of species, clean air, and clean water. Biomimicry is a paradigm shift in thinking which can be applied to everything from the manufacturing of specific products inspired by nature to the organization of businesses modeled after a type III ecosystem. In the classroom curriculum around biomimicry supplies excellent material for integrated learning and problem based learning. The solution centered focus provides hope filled explorations of environmental science's otherwise complicated and troubled conclusions.