Learning from Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast with Lily Urmann – Details, episodes & analysis

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Learning from Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast with Lily Urmann

Lily Urmann

Science

Arts

Science

Frequency: 1 episode/48d. Total Eps: 35

We share this planet with millions of species, each full of hidden wisdom shaped by eons of evolution. Biomimicry draws inspiration from nature’s genius to create designs that nurture both people and the planet. Join Lily Urmann, biomimic and educator, as she reveals how this powerful practice sparks innovation across fields. Together, let’s discover what we can learn from nature.

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https://www.learningfromnature.earth/merch
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https://pinepeakproductions.com/about
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https://www.learnbiomimicry.com/blog/best-biomimicry-examples
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Biomimicry and Circular Systems: Designing for Resilience with Rana Hajirasouli

Season 5 · Episode 7

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 • Duration 43:06

In this episode, we dive into a surprising but essential topic for a life-friendly future: trade networks and resource sharing. Guest Rana Hajirasouli, circular-economy innovator and founder of the climate-tech startup The Surpluss, explains how nature’s systems can inspire smarter, more collaborative ways for industries to reduce waste, strengthen supply chains, and unlock new forms of value.

With experience spanning marine conservation, international law, and manufacturing (as well as recognition from the World Economic Forum and UAE’s Future 100), Rana brings a sharp, systems-level perspective to what circularity can look like in practice. From industrial symbiosis to resource sovereignty, she breaks down how we can redesign our networks the way nature does: with efficiency, reciprocity, and resilience at the core. Tune in for a compelling conversation about what’s possible when we rethink how we share.

Learn more about The Surpluss.

Note: Host Lily Urmann is welcoming the newest biomimic in January, and will be on maternity leave until June 2026.

Sponsored by Learn Biomimicry.

Curious about how nature can solve our biggest design challenges? Start your education today. Use code LEARNINGFROMNATURE to save:

20% off the Biomimicry Short Course Set
5% off the Biomimicry Practitioner & Biomimicry Educator Programs

Expand your mind with free resources from the Learn Biomimicry Blog: Discover the 50 Best Biomimicry Examples, explore Biophilic Design, or learn about Patterns in Nature.

Grab some Learning from Nature merch including shirts and sweatshirts.

Learning from Nature audio editing by Pine Peak Productions.

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Critical Mast: Biomimicry of Collective and Swarming Behavior with Dr. Iain Couzin

Season 5 · Episode 6

Friday, October 24, 2025 • Duration 49:10

How might emergent strategies of group dynamics in nature inform our own technology and design?

In this episode, Dr. Iain Couzin, Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and one of the world’s leading researchers on collective motion in animals, explores how nature’s systems -- from swarming locusts and murmurations of starlings to schooling fish -- coordinate complex group behaviors without centralized control, and what these patterns can teach us about designing human systems that are more adaptive, resilient, and cooperative. Dr. Couzin shares insights from decades of research on how simple rules at the individual level can create intelligent, emergent behaviors at scale; offering powerful inspiration for rethinking collaboration, innovation, and decision-making in our own organizations and societies.

This Critical Mast episode is part of a community podcasting experiment on the phenomenon of masting— when trees mysteriously synchronize to produce massive seed crops all at once. In my conversation with Dr. Couzin, we will look beyond the forest to another kind of synchronization: the elegant intelligence of swarming life. Listen to the other episodes below or available on the Spotify Playlist here.

Behind the Scenes Biomimicry: GreenPod Labs is Reducing Food Waste

Season 4 · Episode 2

Monday, July 29, 2024 • Duration 34:57

Globally, more than 1.6 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year -- and in India, 40% of produce goes to waste before it even reaches grocery store shelves. By learning from plant protection mechanisms, Deepak Rajmohan of GreenPod Labs has developed a solution: using natural plant extracts to activate those built-in defenses. The simple yet effective solution is a satchel that can be dropped into produce transportation to slow down the ripening rate and limit microbial growth. All at ambient temperature with no toxic chemicals or extra plastic packaging. Listen in to hear how GreenPod Labs is making an impact in the market and on our planet. This episode will share a behind the scenes look into the biomimicry process and hopefully reveal that this practice is not only possible, but it's happening!

Explore GreenPod Labs.
Watch the innovation highlight video from World Economic Forum.

Behind the Scenes Biomimicry: Amphico is Revolutionizing the Textile Market

Friday, June 21, 2024 • Duration 51:58

The ideal adventure apparel is both waterproof and breathable. Yet the tragic irony for outdoor enthusiasts is how toxic and wasteful the current clothing and gear options there are on the market. That's where Amphico comes in: a UK-based biomimicry company learning from waterproofing strategies in nature to create options without harmful chemicals while also eliminating the excessive waste. Isabella MacKenzie, the Lead Color and Textile Designer at Amphico, discusses their novel material and how they are accomplishing functionality without compromising human or environmental health. This episode will share a behind the scenes look into the biomimicry process and hopefully reveal that this practice is not only possible, but it's happening!

Explore Amphico and the new technology "Amphitex".
Read an article by Isabella MacKenzie to learn more.

Grab some

How Does Nature Cooperate? All About Lichens with Dr. Troy McMullin

Season 2 · Episode 8

Friday, May 17, 2024 • Duration 51:00

It's on every continent, and in every terrestrial ecosystem. It's beneath our feet on most hikes and it's often overlooked: lichens! In this episode, Dr. Troy McMullin, the chief lichenologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, gives an insightful overview of what lichens are, describes their many interesting strategies, and shares why you should care. We dive into their unique symbiotic partnership, their range of amazing structures, and how they are an important part of our future here on Earth. Grab a jeweler's loupe, put on your adventure shoes, and immerse yourself in a tiny world of awe and wonder.

Troy McMullin Biography
Lichens: The Macrolichens of Ontario and the Great Lakes Region of the United States
The Secret World of Lichens: A Young Naturalist's Guide

Knowledge Symbiosis with Roxanne Swentzell and Anne LaForti

Season 3 · Episode 4

Friday, January 26, 2024 • Duration 01:01:55

In the fourth episode of our limited series Knowledge Symbiosis: Can Biomimicry and Indigenous Science Harmonize?, Roxanne Swentzell and Anne LaForti engage in a conversation hosted by Sara El-Sayed, converging Indigenous ideologies and scientific understanding of soils, seeds, regenerative versus sustainable terminologies, and steps to healing ourselves and our ecosystems. This limited series is produced by The Cultural Conservancy's Native Seed Pod, Arizona State University, and Learning From Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast, with music and soundscapes by Colin Farish.

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Knowledge Symbiosis with PennElys Droz and Maibritt Pederson

Season 3 · Episode 3

Thursday, December 21, 2023 • Duration 01:05:37

In the third episode of our limited series Knowledge Symbiosis: Can Biomimicry and Indigenous Science Harmonize?, PennElys Droz and Maibritt Pederson Zari engage in conversation hosted by Lily Urmann, exploring cosmologies, paradigm shifts and how to be in good relationship while we co-create and design as humans within creation. They outline principles of regenerative design in communities, and how we all might engage in decolonization as well as learn from Indigenous ecological relationships. This limited series is produced by The Cultural Conservancy's Native Seed Pod, Arizona State University, and Learning From Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast, with music and soundscapes by Colin Farish.

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Knowledge Symbiosis with Dayna Baumeister and Melissa K Nelson Part 2

Season 3 · Episode 2

Thursday, November 30, 2023 • Duration 01:00:07

In this second episode of the limited series Knowledge Symbiosis: Can Biomimicry and Indigenous Science Harmonize?, Dayna Baumeister and Melissa K Nelson continue their conversation, hosted by Sara El-Sayed, exploring the common ground and mapping the divergences between Indigenous science and biomimicry. They dive into the nature of biomimicry and Indigenous knowledges and how they are often misconstrued by non-practitioners; potential ethical limits to seeking knowledge; and an ethical space of engagement for biomimicry practitioners and Indigenous knowledge-holders. This limited series is produced by The Cultural Conservancy's Native Seed Pod, Arizona State University, and Learning From Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast, with music and soundscapes by Colin Farish.

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Knowledge Symbiosis with Dayna Baumeister and Melissa K Nelson Part 1

Season 3 · Episode 1

Wednesday, November 8, 2023 • Duration 56:45

In this inaugural episode of the limited series Knowledge Symbiosis: Can Biomimicry and Indigenous Science Harmonize?, Dayna Baumeister joins Melissa K. Nelson and Sara El-Sayed in a conversation exploring the common ground and mapping the divergences between Indigenous science and biomimicry.

SERIES SYNOPSIS
Biomimicry, nature-inspired design, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), or Indigenous Knowledge Systems, both have roots in nature and a deep respect for natural processes. However, the two fields have different worldviews: biomimicry is oriented from a Western science perspective, while TEK emerges from Indigenous, spiritual, and cosmological worldviews. With a common source of inspiration, professionals in both fields recognize the potential for collaboration, yet no formal efforts or conversations in this realm have been published for a wide audience. This podcast series, Knowledge Symbiosis: Can Biomimicry and Indigenous Science Harmonize? invites dialogue from both perspectives—practitioners in biomimicry, and elders, practitioners, and Indigenous scholars—so we might better understand each other and explore opportunities to weave these learnings. Five episodes will be available on The Native Seed Pod and Learning From Nature:The Biomimicry Podcast for listeners to tune in and reflect. The episodes are hosted in rotation by Dr. Melissa Nelson, Dr. Sara El-Sayed, and Lily Urmann, and feature conversations between Kim Tall Bear, Janine Benyus, Dayna Baumeister, PennElys Droz, Maibritt Pederson, Anne LaForti, and Roxanne Swentzell. These conversations delve into the ethics of science, human-nature connection, regenerative design, and our relationship to all other kin on this planet. This limited series is produced by The Cultural Conservancy's Native Seed Pod, Arizona State University, and Learning From Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast, with music and soundscapes by Colin Farish.

Multi-functionality of Mucus and the Microbiome with Erin Miller

Season 2 · Episode 7

Sunday, September 24, 2023 • Duration 49:48

A fun fact for your next party conversation: humans have over 30 trillion cells in our bodies, and 70-90% of those cells are bacterial and fungal! Look no further than exploring the microbiomes of biology when you need your next existential crisis -- or next rabbit hole of fascination to dive into. While mucus and the microbiome might not be the classic poster-child of biomimicry, there is so much we can learn from these elegant, strange, and efficient strategies. Erin Miller discusses the power of a beginner mindset, companies leading the way in developing applications, and curiosity-driven learning.

Sponsored by Learn Biomimicry.

Curious about how nature can solve our biggest design challenges? Start your education today. Use code LEARNINGFROMNATURE to save:

20% off the Biomimicry Short Course Set
5% off the Biomimicry Practitioner & Biomimicry Educator Programs

Expand your mind with free resources from the Learn Biomimicry Blog: Discover the 50 Best Biomimicry Examples, explore Biophilic Design, or learn about Patterns in Nature.

Grab some Learning from Nature merch including shirts and sweatshirts.

Learning from Nature audio editing by Pine Peak Productions.

Learning from Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast with Lily Urmann – Details, episodes & analysis

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Learning from Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast with Lily Urmann – Details, episodes & analysis

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