Samenvatting

Few people I know act likea magnet in the way Laura does. If you hear her speak, see her move, enjoy her smile - you can't help but want to be a part of what makes her heart beat faster. She radiates passion for her dream topic biomimicry and before you know it you're caught in that dream. From the day I met her, I was captivated by her enthusiasm and knowledge about this topic. In fact, meeting Laura made me decide to join the university as I thought: if people like Laura work at THUAS, I want to be a part of this organization'. Over the years I have seen her finish the Msc in biomimicry at Arizona State University followed by a PhD at TUDelft. And all that next to her full time job as a teacher. It's only a miracle that she still found the time to go outdoors and be in Nature. But luckily, she did as this is what nourishes her - and that nourishment is brought into the classroom affecting generations of students. I am very proud of how she builds her tribe just like Nature does; grassroots from the bottom up, not supported but also not inhibited by formal structures. In that way she truly acts as a bridge helping others to tap into Nature's wisdom.
This morning I harvested the remaining vegetables from my garden and turned them into lunch. It's the second year I grow vegetables and it feels like I am only at the beginning of learning to collaborate with Nature. In Spring and Summer, Ihave witnessed in awe how seeds become seedlings which then grow into mature plants carrying fruit. The sheer wonder of Nature never ceases to amaze me, and my garden is only an attempt to be more aware of seasonal rhythms. It's Autumn right now, a time of year that invites us to go inside, reflect and let go of old baggage that no longer serves us. We'll be approaching the stage of wintering soon in which our inner journey will benefit from the darkness of wintertime introspection, along with the space to process the old, integrate learnings, and then germinate the new. Over the course of her career, Laura has gone through these seasonal cycles - reinventing herself in the past decade as a teacher, researcher and regenerative leader.

One of Laura's many qualities is that she embodies three leadership characteristics derived from Nature. First, she acknowledges the importance of interconnection. Many times, we think of Nature as being separate from us, but in reality we humans are Nature. Connection with Nature enables us to think within systems and understand that we can't direct the system, but instead we're all part of multiple systems. Second, sensing the system and our part in it builds resilience. Even if things don't go as we expected or imagined, rather than reacting, we can step back and engage with more insight. Laura's adaptability to a system's needs while spotting opportunities to crack it open, is admirable. As the system is always in evolution, so is she - remarkably receptive to change even in the final stages of her career. Third, Laura creates space for people to develop and thrive, acting as multipliers of her vision and love for the natural world. In her leadership she embodies the ideal elder while being able to perceive the world through the eyes of a child - with continuous wonder for how life unfolds.

This book is a bricolage of Laura's post-doc research conducted the past two years. In it you will find an array of fascinating reads and tools that help you deepen your practice as a biomimicry professional. The book is a community effort integrating tools Laura has co-created with her ecosystem as well as more in-depth readings written by some of the talents she has nourished over time. I wish for you to enjoy this careful curation of both
practical as well as more conceptual contributions. May it inspire your own thriving in bringing Nature based wisdom to the core of our daily lives.