The Nature Exchange is a new gallery at the Telus World of Science Edmonton where you can trade, analyze, discuss, interpret and catalogue natural items. The Nature Exchange gallery is a truly diverse experience, with an Animal Zone and the Field Station to discover. You can meet George and Badger, the sugar gliders; or Alphie, the corn snake, or Shelob the tarantula, or Iggy the bearded dragon! Participate in unique exhibits like identifying different trace evidence left behind by animals, or studying photographs taken at various Alberta Camera Traps. You can even use microscopes to study real samples, like compare carnivore teeth vs. herbivore teeth. Biomimicry Alberta’s core member Carlos Fiorentino was selected as one of the “Spotlight Scientists,” and samples of structural colour will be included in the gallery.

Mary Glasper (Biologist) and Carlos Fiorentino (Designer) were interviewed as part of module 12 “Products, Science and Technology” of the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) BUGS 101 “Insect-Human Interactions”. Mooc’s are a very successful University of Alberta’s initiative partnered with Coursera. Just in a few days more than 2,000 students registered to the BUGS 101.

In BUGS 101 Module 12 Mary talks about the use of silks and Carlos about biomimicry and structural colour.

This pdf is a summary of the concepts learned at the first biomimicry workshop focusing on Life-Friendly Chemistry, held in India on March 2019.  This work was informed by lessons from Mark Dorfman of Biomimicry 3.8 and Tim Ward of the University of New Mexico.  If you have any questions or corrections, contact kira.hunt@live.ca

Please use, share, and build on this work.

LFC Summary Sheet 2019-05-20

https://zqjournal.org/editions/zq25.html

We are looking for individuals to provide their ideas for online resources and tools that would help scientists and non-scientists engage with biodiversity data, such as native bee distributions and occurrences. We are graduate students and researchers from the University of Calgary seeking to understand how people can use scientific data to better understand and conserve biodiversity. The University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board has approved this research study.

You can participate in this study in person or online through one of the following options:

Option 1: one-hour focus group with other study participants;

Option 2: 30-minute individual interview (in-person or phone); or

Option 3: 15-minute online survey.

If you are interested in Options 1 or 2, please contact us using the information below or you can fill out this online form:https://survey.ucalgary.ca/jfe/form/SV_abfrk2lKMDkcpi5

Focus groups and interviews will be audio recorded.

You can complete Option 3 through accessing the online survey here:
https://survey.ucalgary.ca/jfe/form/SV_9nvKQEAVAXqbpoF

If you have friends or colleagues who you believe might also be interested in participating in this research, we would be grateful if you could talk to them about this research opportunity and/or forward them this notice with information about our study.

Thank you for your help!

Angela Demarse & Dylan McLernon

on behalf of the BeeSmart Team: Mindi Summers, Marjan Eggermont, Lincoln Best, Paul Galpern, John Swann, Jessica Theodor, Jana C. Vamosi, Jess L. Vickruck, Tegan Barry, Emily Kaing, Holly Kersteins

Image: Animalia Life