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Think Like an Ecosystem Training

Think Like an Ecosystem
Biomimicry for Social Innovation

June 12-14, 2018 | New York City

Biomimicry for Social Innovation Design Workshop
2-day extension

June 15-16, 2018 | New York City

Discover how to Think Like an Ecosystem during our three-day training that cross pollinates the fields of biomimicry and social innovation. Through exploration of an old growth forest inside the New York Botanical Gardens and a field trip to the shorelines of the City’s largest park, you’ll explore lessons from nature and learn how to apply this ecosystem intelligence to organizations and social innovation efforts.

Have a specific opportunity or challenge you’d like to address? The Design Workshop is a two-day extension for those ready to roll up their sleeves and begin applying the concepts learned during the training to a specific issue or opportunity. Through direct coaching with our expert instructors and collaborative engagement with fellow learners, you’ll work to unpack the most applicable lessons from nature, then apply them systematically to your challenge. The Think Like an Ecosystem training is a prerequisite for this extension unless you’ve previously taken a Biomimicry Social Innovation workshop with Biomimicry 3.8.

Feature image: Wikimedia | Acroterion

Co-sponsored and Organized by

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What To Expect

Each day will be brimming with content—you should plan to clear your agenda and fully immerse yourself in the biomimicry experience! You will gain new insights and new ways to unpack challenges as you explore how to apply nature’s lessons through experiential play with lessons from local ecosystems. From a homebase of the New York Botanical Gardens, workshop activities will vary from lecture time to hands on activities to fields trips that explore Pelham Bay Park, New York City’s largest park. This will be an active and fully engaged workshop, so come ready to dive in!

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Think Like an Ecosystem

Each day, we’ll meet each day in our own classroom at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. Lunch and refreshments are provided each day.

Tuesday, June 12
New York Botanical Gardens
During our first day together, we’ll provide an overview of how organizations and social innovation efforts can draw inspiration from healthy, evolving ecosystems as we unpack nature’s lessons on context, relationships, and change. Begin honing your observation skills during exploration of the old-growth forest in the NYGB’s native garden. Explore life’s resilience strategies among centuries old American beeches, cherry, birch, tulip, and white ash trees as you connect with Life’s Principles, a Biomimicry 3.8 tool that summarizes the guidelines for how all of life survives and thrives on Earth.

Wednesday, June 13
New York Botanical Gardens & Pelham Bay Park
After a morning diving deeper into nature’s lessons, deepen your understanding of lessons associated with context and change as we explore New York City’s largest park, Pelham Bay Park, spotting for egret, hawks, seals, and horseshoe crabs. Discover life’s succession strategies amidst stands of black locust trees and learn about building resilience in times of flux by looking at the saltwater marshes.

Thursday, June 14
New York Botanical Gardens
New lessons await as we explore the Bronx River riparian zone and discuss as a group the dynamics of change in nature, both short-term and long-term. For lessons on endurance, we’ll look to apply design lessons to help grow resilient organizations and foster a regenerative society.

Friday, June 15 & Saturday, June 16
The Design Workshop is a two-day extension for those ready to roll up their sleeves and begin applying the concepts learned during the training to a specific issue or problem area in your organization, company, or project under the guidance and coaching of our expert instructors. This extension is a great way to embed new ways of thinking inspired by the three-day training directly into application—reinforcing the learning while directly walking away with new insights. Because it’s based on the content of the first three days, you cannot take this as a stand-alone course unless you’ve previously taken a Biomimicry for Social Innovation immersion workshop.

Please note that this overview is subject to modification as the needs of the group arise. A final detailed agenda will be provided to the participants at the start of the workshop.

Instructors

Dr. Dayna Baumeister–Biomimicry 3.8 Co-Founder

Dr. Dayna Baumeister is a world-renowned biomimicry lecturer and consultant, as well as the Director of the Biomimicry Professional Certificate Program and Co-director of The Biomimicry Center at ASU. With a background in biology, a devotion to applied natural history, and a passion for sharing the wonders of nature with others, Dayna has worked in the field of biomimicry with business partner Janine Benyus since 1998 as a business catalyst, educator, researcher, and design consultant. As a workshop leader, she will share her 18+ years of experience bringing biological intelligence to a wide range of audiences as well as her visionary leadership for the meme.

Toby Herzlich–Biomimicry for Social Innovation Founder

Toby Herzlich is a leadership trainer, master facilitator, certified Biomimicry Specialist, and the founder of Biomimicry for Social Innovation. Toby is committed to the creation of a just, healthy, and regenerative society, and heartfully enthused about the transformative potential of applying nature’s wisdom to humanity’s sustainability aspirations. With more than 25 years of facilitation experience, she is a Senior Trainer with the Rockwood Leadership Institute, co-founder of Cultivating Women’s Leadership, and a consultant to organizations such as the Sierra Club and the AgroEcology Fund. She finds much of her purpose in catalyzing diverse networks of social change innovators, including the Young Climate Leaders, and intends to germinate a co-evolving network of leaders using nature’s intelligence as guidance and inspiration.

Special Guest

Lisa Dokken–Certified Biomimicry Professional

Lisa Dokken holds one of the first masters in science in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and is a Certified Biomimicry Professional. Lisa lectures on biomimicry and nature based solutions at The Earth Institute, Columbia University, as well as Bard College’s MBA in Sustainability program. Prior to her diving head first into biomimicry, Lisa worked in sustainable development for the United Nations Development Programme and the Clinton Climate Initiative in Asia, Latin America and Africa.

Pricing

Price for attendance at the June 12-14, 3-day training is $1,950. Designed to be highly affordable and flexible, registration covers catered lunch each day, all activities, tuition, workshop materials, and administration costs. You will need to choose your own options for breakfast, dinner, and lodging based on your preferences.

The June 15-16 Design Workshop extension is $1,500. Registration includes catered lunch each day, all activities, tuition, workshop materials, and administration costs. The Think Like an Ecosystem 3-day training is a prerequisite for this extension, unless you’ve previously taken a Biomimicry Social Innovation workshop with Biomimicry 3.8.

You’ll see an option on the registration form to select the three-day training only, or the three-day plus two-day workshop extension.

Attendees are responsible for covering the cost of transportation and lodging, as well as breakfast and evening meals. Reserve your seat for only $500. 

Convince your boss by downloading and sharing our new PDF that outlines the professional benefits and value biomimicry immersion workshops can add to any organization. Download Convince Your Boss pdf here.

Workshop Location and Accommodations

The workshop will be held at the New York City Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, conveniently located across the street from the Botanical Garden station on the Metro-North Harlem line, just 20 minutes from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.

Attendees are responsible for arranging their own accommodations. New York offers endless lodging opportunities. There are several hotels within walking distance of the workshop. The proximity to a station allows participants to easily travel from other parts of the city. Don’t forget about VRBO or Airbnb.

Registration and deadlines

We’ve extended the registration period, online registration forms must be completed by May 14, 2018. All instructions and pricing information is included within the form. Late registration will be accepted through June 5, 2018 pending availability. Late registrants will incur a $200 late fee.

Learn more about Immersion Workshops here

Questions? Contact us at workshops@biomimicry.net or +1 406-543-4108 *233

Co-Sponsored and Organized by

This Biomimicry for Social Innovation Workshop opened my eyes wider than any book I have read on this subject so far.

— Roberta Trentin, Visual Artist, Roberta Trentin Photography, LLC
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