Diary of a Biomimic: finding inspirations in nature through iSites
In Biomimicry, there is an exercise called an iSite[1]. It is a relatively simple practice that only takes about 30 minutes. All you need for it is a place where you can observe nature in solitude, a notebook, and materials to sketch with. That's it.
So what exactly is an iSite?
In synthesis, in an iSite, you observe nature for about 15-20 minutes, they sketch and write about what you experienced. You are looking for relationships between species, what functions do they carry out, how do they live and interact together, what are they... anything that helps you better understand their world, and consequently, our own.
Watch the video for details:
I could write a super long post about it, but someone beat me to the punch. There is an excellent post that describes the iSite process in detail here.
So what can I tell you that you don't already know?
Besides what is in the video, which I HIGHLY recommend you watch, of course. :) I am here to tell you that you don't need to go out into a big, fancy park or a forest or lost in some remote area to connect to nature. You can connect to nature anywhere, because nature is all around us! I have done iSites watching my cat as he wandered around my room and a snail as it slithered across the sidewalk; I went to a lake and observed a tree being pushed by the wind; I even did one of my houseplant. There were times when I didn't even see nature, I just heard it, like when I was immersed in the chirping of cicadas. After 15 minutes of listening, I wrote up all the things that came to mind about the sound and its relationship to the environment. When I finished, I did some research to deepen my observations, but the bulk was listening, since it is not a sense we use often enough.
Try it for Yourself
The next time you want to connect to nature, try an iSite. If you do, leave me a comment on this post or one of my Biomimicry Inspirations posts. I would love to hear what you discover!
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Plant Intelligence/Cognition/Neurobiology and Biomimicry
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Facilitating evolutionary Interspecies Communication to CoCreate Nature-Inspired Places, Products, and Processes.
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Plant neurobiology, biomimicry, social innovation, plant music, design, interspecies communication, urban planning... These are just some of the biophilic topics I cover on my website and here on Steemit. Follow along and comment often. My goal is to create discussion, not give a conference! And if you explore related topics, let me know in the comments, I would love to follow you.
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REFERENCES
- iSites developed by Biomimicry 3.8