Those who are inspired by a model other than nature...are laboring in vain.
                        – Leonardo da Vinci

Filmmaker, author and eco-activist Kenny Ausubel coined the neologism (new word) “bioneer” from the root words “biological pioneer.” Through the years, the term has come into widespread use to describe people from diverse disciplines who share core values such as viewing life as an interdependent, holistic system. Bioneers seek practical and visionary solutions to our most pressing environmental and sociocultural challenges while making ready for future developments.

In 1990, Ausubel and his wife, social entrepreneur Nina Simons, founded an annual event called the Bioneers Conference. Gathering yearly in San Rafael, California, the event brings these problem-solvers together to incubate ideas, share research and inspire anyone who chooses to listen. Although the word “bioneers” initially described the conference and the group that gathers there, the popular usage of the term has spread, and it increasingly is used independent of the event. (The term “bioneers” also has an antithetical definition utilized in biotech and based on the combination of the words "bio-technology" and "engineering" and/or "pioneering.")
In a 2005 interview with Terrence McNally (available on www.AlterNet.org), Ausubel said, “…we have 3.8 billion years of successful evolution – there are no recalls in nature – yet we have not paid attention to nature's own operating instructions.” Around the world, the growing group of bioneers looks to nature for inspiration, a field called biomimicry in which science imitates nature in order to find the most efficient, eco-friendly solutions. For example, consider solar cells that mimic leaves, agriculture that models a prairie, businesses that run like redwood forests and trains shaped like the bills of birds.

Bioneers founders Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons.

The origin of this modern field has been attributed to the early environmental activist (also an architect, poet, author and inventor) Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983). Educator and life-science writer Janine Benyus is accredited with establishing it as a field of study. Benyus is the author of the groundbreaking book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (www.biomimicry.net). In her speech at the 2005 Bioneers Conference, she detailed examples of biomimicry and cited the work of Frank Fish, a biomechanicist at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, who noted that the bumps on the fins of the humpback whale are not random; they have evolved over millions of years. When Fish mimicked the bumps on a model airplane wing, he achieved a 32-percent fuel savings.

As another example, Benyus described the current research on hydrogen fuel cells. These cells are costly to create because of the platinum membrane used to produce the hydrogen. However, bioneer researchers are studying how plants produce hydrogen from water, and they have isolated a very inexpensive molecule called hydrogenase enzyme derived from blue-green algae. This research may prove to be extraordinarily valuable in future options for producing alternative power.

As the bioneer concept spreads, its applications are infinite. However, in his 2006 Bioneers Conference presentation, David Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies at Oberlin College and a leading scholar in the sustainability movement, said “If design is going to be a robust concept, it has to be about much more than making things. It has to deal with systems and context.” He noted that although revolu-tionary change is taking place, we are not winning the revolution. He said, “We will lose despite being right if we do not begin to combine our concepts of design with savvy politics and a deeper sense of spirit.” Orr noted that by sharing their dreams, fears, ideas and research, bioneers are actively creating change across a wide spectrum. It is Orr's vision that if bioneers “blend design, spirit, politics and a renewed connection to the earth in a lasting form, future generations will look back and see this as our finest hour.”

People considered to be bioneers include far more than scientists and engineers. Bioneers also include writers, educators, architects, farmers, economists, public servants, business people, artists, gardeners, chefs and activists who work in diverse fields and cultures. With a primary focus on solutions based on nature's essential principles of interdependence, cooperation and community, bioneers are at the crossroads of ecological restoration, human health and social justice. As noted by Ausubel in his interview with McNally, “Bioneers (the conference) is not just concerned with restoring our relationships with the natural world but also our relationships with each other.”

Lunch break at the annual Bioneers Conference held every October at the Marin Center Campus in San Rafael, CA. Photo by Scott Hess.

Cleveland has been selected as one of 20 cities to host a satellite Bioneers Conference with a broadcast of national speakers as well as live presentations from local bioneers, exhibits, tours and artful celebrations. Scheduled to take place October 19-21, 2007, at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, the event will feature the exciting projects taking place in Northeast Ohio, and will give attendees the opportunity to connect across sectors. The Cleveland group is joined by groups in Detroit and Traverse City, Michigan to form the Great Lakes Bioneers The three cities are sharing resources to add strength to this powerful, growing global information and action network.

The Great Lakes Bioneers' workshops will include topics such as gardening and cooking in schools, role of women in creating environmental change, ecological design in building, integrating wellness into the workplace and the home, and where to buy and how to prepare local foods. Other topics include food and farming, environmental justice, philanthropy for change, green chemistry, public art, community building and more.

In the interview with McNally, Nina Simons said that she and Ausubel established the Bioneers Conference because “We saw the need for people to recognize the unifying factors among ourselves, and to begin to see that we actually are all potentially part of one movement – a movement of people who care about restoring the health and vitality of the living world. There's actually a great deal more that unites us than that which divides us.” The Great Lakes Bioneers Conference offers our community inspiration, education and the opportunity to connect with each other and bioneer approach.

For more information about the Great Lakes Bioneers Conference, visit www.urban. csuohio.edu/forum/bioneers. Also visit www.bioneers.org. Anyone interested in sponsoring or volunteering at the local event, please e-mail bioneers@roadrunner.com. Maggie Busser, publisher and editor of Balanced Living Magazine, has been invited to be a presenter. Please check the website for details.