-REGISTRATION CLOSED-
After more than 20 years of teaching immersion workshops in some of the most fantastic landscapes around the world, we’re trying something new and heading to an oceanscape!
Join Biomimicry 3.8 co-founder Dayna Baumeister and Biomimicry Professional and marine naturalist Andrew Meador for an unforgettable snorkeling experience, exploring majestic coral reefs and reconnecting with marine life in the tropical waters of Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean.
Join us on the beautiful tropical island of Bonaire, where you will discover biomimicry underwater. Surround yourself with the incredible biodiversity of Caribbean coral reefs and deepen your connection to the natural world as you learn biomimicry’s essential practices and principles. We will be staying at a private dive resort where we will build community, engage in learning sessions, and explore the ocean together through a series of snorkeling excursions.
Why snorkeling? Snorkeling will allow our group to interact and collaborate during Biomimicry-focused discussions.
Interested in scuba diving too? If you are scuba-certified, you will have time during the workshop to scuba dive on your own. Reach out to your local dive shop to work out the details of your training and certification before arriving in Bonaire.
In addition to the joys of floating weightless in the water, being immersed in beautiful above-and-below wave landscapes, and eye witnessing incredible marine life, it’s more important than ever to establish and maintain a strong connection with our more-than-human neighbors. Whether you live on a coastline or in a landlocked area, humanity depends upon the ocean’s health and vibrancy.
Coral reefs comprise less than 1% of the seafloor’s surface area yet are home to over 25% of their biodiversity. Sharks have helped scientists reimagine antimicrobial surfaces, mantis shrimp have inspired innovative additive manufacturing and 3D printing strategies, and whales have become mentors for building more efficient wind turbine blades. These marine ecosystems are overflowing with natural inspiration for the challenges we are facing as a species and offer a unique and exciting environment for us to (re)connect with Nature.
Together, we’ll be exploring and observing the rich interconnected relationships of this ecosystem, exercising gratitude as a transformative practice, cultivating an intentional practice of reconnecting to nature, and deepening our understanding of Biomimicry Thinking in the context of tropical marine environments. As we observe more of these champion species and their unique strategies in-person, we will apply all three elements of authentic biomimicry [Ethos, (Re)Connect, Emulate] in meaningful and contextually relevant ways.
DiveHut Resort will be our home base for the week on Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands. Due to its location, Bonaire Island is buffered from most Atlantic hurricanes.
Workshop fees
Included in the workshop fees are tuition and course materials, all snorkeling costs (equipment, air, boat, etc.), lodging for 6 nights, transportation from the Bonaire airport, and administrative costs. Costs vary depending on the rooming type selected. All room types have a full kitchen and an ensuite bathroom.
Private accommodations | $4,550
Semi-private (private room in shared apartment) | $4,390
Shared accommodations | $4,270
For locals: no accommodations | $3,600
What’s not included?
To allow for flexibility in pricing and tastes, you are on your own for breakfast and dinner, but group lunches will be provided. Each room has a fully equipped kitchen where you can prepare your own meals, or you can walk to one of the many local restaurants.
Participants are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the Bonaire International Airport (BON) and any needed lodging and transportation before and after the workshop.
We hope to make this experience more accessible by offering up to 6 $1000 scholarships to workshop participants. Applicants will hear back on a rolling basis.
Student Discounts:
Student discounts have limited availability, are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, and may not be combined.
Reach out to workshops@biomimicry.net with any further questions.
Dr. Dayna Baumeister | With a devotion to applied natural history and a passion for sharing the genius of nature, Dr. Dayna Baumeister has worked in the field of biomimicry with business partner Janine Benyus since 1998, traveling the world as a biomimicry thought-leader, business consultant, and professor. Together they founded the Biomimicry Guild consulting practice, The Biomimicry Institute 501c3, and Biomimicry 3.8, a B-Corp social enterprise that helps clients find innovation inspired by nature and offers the highest level of biomimicry training to professionals worldwide.
Dayna’s foundational work has been critical to the biomimicry movement, establishing it as a fresh and innovative practice, as well as a philosophy to meet the world’s sustainability challenges. As an educator, researcher, and design consultant, Dayna has helped more than 100 companies consult the natural world for elegant and sustainable design solutions, as diverse as Nike, Interface, General Mills, Boeing, Google, Natura, Herman-Miller, Kohler, Seventh Generation and Procter & Gamble. Dayna is a natural systems thinker and brings a unique perspective to her work to help others see nature as model, measure, and mentor. She designed and teaches the world’s first MSc in Biomimicry as a Professor of Practice at ASU, co-founded, is director of The Biomimicry Center at ASU. She compiled more than 20 years of experience in the practice of biomimicry into the world’s only textbook for the field: Biomimicry Resource Handbook: A Seed Bank of Knowledge and Best Practices (2014).
Andrew Meador | Andrew is a scientist and educator with a passion for facilitating reconnection to nature. He graduated from Purdue University with a BS Interdisciplinary Chemistry, earned his MS Biomimicry from Arizona State University, and is also a member of the current Biomimicry Professional cohort. He has been a professional scientist in the fields of nanotechnology, molecular biology, water quality assurance, and marine biology (where he is currently studying an incredibly fast shrimp species that can be found in Bonaire), and has worked as an independent contractor for both The Biomimicry Institute and Biomimicry 3.8. He is a recent transplant to Washington state, and while formerly living in Tennessee he was a board member of the Chattanooga Audubon Society, a scuba diver for the Tennessee Aquarium, and gave a TEDx talk entitled “Birds and Biomimicry”. He is PADI Rescue-certified and holds a Science of Diving accreditation from Scuba Schools International. When not engaging with his scientific interests, he can be found hiking, enjoying the outdoors, and skateboarding.