Biomimicry, also known as bioinspiration or biology-inspired engineering, is an interdisciplinary field in which nature serves as a model or inspiration for designing innovative solutions to a wide range of engineering problems. 

INTRODUCTION TO BIOMIMICRY
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This course, a unique partnership between the University of California, San Diego and the world-famous San Diego Zoo, is led by an interdisciplinary and knowledgeable instructor team spanning both institutions. Stephanie Snyder, Marine Biology Doctoral Student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Sunni Robertson, Lead Educator Guide at the San Diego Zoo, lead course instruction that covers a wide range of biological and engineering topics and in addition features expertise from horticulturists and keepers of the San Diego Zoo.

This class provides students with a unique look at biomimicry by coupling hands-on activities in the classroom with mission-based learning at the Zoo. Each Saturday, students will spend the morning learning about the fundamental principles that shape design in both man-made technologies and the natural world. In the afternoon, students will explore living examples of these principles within the Zoo’s collection of animals and plants. The daily schedule includes a morning session at the UCSD Extension Offices in Mission Valley consisting of a combination of lecture, hands-on activities, group presentations, and class discussion. Students will then travel to the San Diego Zoo for an afternoon session consisting of animal demonstrations, behind-the-scenes experiences, and “adaptation scavenger hunts.”