Nature’s Wisdom
by Chad Gares
Nature has been thriving by itself without any alien help for millions of years, while humans have been struggling to live for a few thousand. If we were to structure our lives similar to processes seen in nature, maybe we would be able to live a little easier. Biomimicry is developing technology that is modeled after examples from nature, in other words, to learn from nature. One of the most important resources in the world is water. Humans and animals drink it every day. In some areas it’s harder for people to access clean water or just water in general. We should learn to use the biological advantage of redwood trees that allows them to turn fog in the air into usable water. We could also learn from nature to develop a more sustainable society. The redwood is the key to kick starting a new revolution of building a better more natural world by copying the scientific properties that the redwood has. It’s also important to view this cultural icon as a symbol of sustainability, and learning from this implementing them into our world.
Redwood trees exist in the far reaches of the western U.S, California, Oregon, and Washington state. Also known as the sequoia, the trees are one of the biggest coniferous species of tree in the United States. Living on the west coast these trees experience a weather pattern that they have adapted to and use to their own advantage. The west coast is a warm and humid place that gets shrouded by fog on a daily basis. The redwood forests across the western U.S have a special property that allows them to turn the dense fog that shrouds the area into usable water. The pine needles of the trees are closely clumped together as are the trees and this helps to catch the fog and condensate the water onto the needles. The water then enters some of the needles and runs down the tree. In 2001, a Canadian nonprofit organization called FogQuest, set up mesh nets, “Fog Catchers,” in an area of the desert called Falda Verde. The fog turns into droplets on the mesh and rolls down into pipes and then into water collection tanks; just like in redwood forests. Locals use the water in agriculture and as drinking water. The nets currently collect about 264 gallons of water a day from fog. This advantage that the trees have is a symbol of sustainability and something we could learn from.
[Photo, Redwood Majesty, by MIzzD licensed by CC BY-NC-SA 2.0]
by Chad Gares
Nature has been thriving by itself without any alien help for millions of years, while humans have been struggling to live for a few thousand. If we were to structure our lives similar to processes seen in nature, maybe we would be able to live a little easier. Biomimicry is developing technology that is modeled after examples from nature, in other words, to learn from nature. One of the most important resources in the world is water. Humans and animals drink it every day. In some areas it’s harder for people to access clean water or just water in general. We should learn to use the biological advantage of redwood trees that allows them to turn fog in the air into usable water. We could also learn from nature to develop a more sustainable society. The redwood is the key to kick starting a new revolution of building a better more natural world by copying the scientific properties that the redwood has. It’s also important to view this cultural icon as a symbol of sustainability, and learning from this implementing them into our world.
Redwood trees exist in the far reaches of the western U.S, California, Oregon, and Washington state. Also known as the sequoia, the trees are one of the biggest coniferous species of tree in the United States. Living on the west coast these trees experience a weather pattern that they have adapted to and use to their own advantage. The west coast is a warm and humid place that gets shrouded by fog on a daily basis. The redwood forests across the western U.S have a special property that allows them to turn the dense fog that shrouds the area into usable water. The pine needles of the trees are closely clumped together as are the trees and this helps to catch the fog and condensate the water onto the needles. The water then enters some of the needles and runs down the tree. In 2001, a Canadian nonprofit organization called FogQuest, set up mesh nets, “Fog Catchers,” in an area of the desert called Falda Verde. The fog turns into droplets on the mesh and rolls down into pipes and then into water collection tanks; just like in redwood forests. Locals use the water in agriculture and as drinking water. The nets currently collect about 264 gallons of water a day from fog. This advantage that the trees have is a symbol of sustainability and something we could learn from.
[Photo, Redwood Majesty, by MIzzD licensed by CC BY-NC-SA 2.0]