Janine Benyus
Encyclopedia
Janine M. Benyus is an American
natural science
s writer, innovation consultant, and author.
with degrees in natural resource management
and english literature
/writing
. Benyus teaches interpretive writing, lectures at the University of Montana, and works towards restoring and protecting wild lands. She serves on a number of land use committees in her rural county, and is president of Living Education, a nonprofit dedicated to place-based living and learning.
, including Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. In this book she develops the basic thesis that human beings should consciously emulate nature's genius in their designs.
In 1998, Benyus co-founded the Biomimicry Guild, the Innovation Consultancy, which helps innovators learn from and emulate natural models in order to design sustainable products, processes, and policies that create conditions conducive to life. She is also President of the The Biomimicry Institute
, a non-profit organization
whose mission is to naturalize biomimicry in the culture by promoting the transfer of ideas, designs, and strategies from biology to sustainable human systems design.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
s writer, innovation consultant, and author.
Life
Benyus graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers UniversityRutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
with degrees in natural resource management
Natural resource management
Natural resource management refers to the management of natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals, with a particular focus on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generations ....
and english literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
/writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
. Benyus teaches interpretive writing, lectures at the University of Montana, and works towards restoring and protecting wild lands. She serves on a number of land use committees in her rural county, and is president of Living Education, a nonprofit dedicated to place-based living and learning.
Work in biomimicry
Benyus has authored six books on biomimicryBiomimicry
Biomimicry or biomimetics is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term biomimicry and biomimetics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate...
, including Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. In this book she develops the basic thesis that human beings should consciously emulate nature's genius in their designs.
In 1998, Benyus co-founded the Biomimicry Guild, the Innovation Consultancy, which helps innovators learn from and emulate natural models in order to design sustainable products, processes, and policies that create conditions conducive to life. She is also President of the The Biomimicry Institute
The Biomimicry Institute
The Biomimicry Institute is non-profit organization based in Missoula, Montana, USA. It was founded in 2006 by Janine Benyus; a natural sciences writer, innovation consultant, and author of six books, including − Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature...
, a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
whose mission is to naturalize biomimicry in the culture by promoting the transfer of ideas, designs, and strategies from biology to sustainable human systems design.
Authored works
- Biomimicry : Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine M. Benyus, Sept. 1, 1997, (ISBN 0-06-053322-6)
- Beastly Behaviors: A Zoo Lover's Companion by Janine M. Benyus and Juan Carlos Barbery (1990-now WL VA) (Oct 1993) (ISBN 0-201-62482-6)
- Northwoods Wildlife: A Watcher's Guide to Habitats by Janine M. Benyus (Jul 1989) (ISBN 1-55971-003-9)
- The Secret Language & Remarkable Behavior of Animals by Janine M. Benyus and Juan Carlos Barberis (Jan 10, 1998) (ISBN 1-57912-036-9)
- The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States by Janine M. Benyus (Jun 15, 1989) (ISBN 0-671-65908-1)
- Wildlife in the upper Great Lakes Region a Community Profile (SuDoc A 13.78:NC-301) by Janine M. Benyus (1992)
- Christmas Tree Pest Manual by Janine M Benyus (Jan 1, 1983)
Awards and honors
- Women of Discovery Award (2006), WINGS WorldQuest
- Rachel Carson Environmental Ethics Award
- Lud Browman Award for Science Writing
- Science Writing in Society Journalism Award
- Barrows and Heinz Distinguished Lectureships
- Design Futures CouncilDesign Futures CouncilThe Design Futures Council is an interdisciplinary network of design, product, and construction leaders exploring global trends, challenges, and opportunities to advance innovation and shape the future of the industry and environment...
Senior Fellow
External links
- Biomimicry Guild
- Janinebenyus.com
- Biomimicry’s Janine Benyus Honored by Time Magazine
- Biomimetic Architecture
- Biomimicry Institute
- AskNature
- TED Talks: Janine Benyus shares nature's designs at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in 2005 - TED Talks: Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in action at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in 2009