Biomimetics in Botanical Gardens—Educational Trails and Guided Tours

The first botanical gardens in Europe were established for the study of medicinal, poisonous, and herbal plants by students medicine or pharmacy at universities. As natural sciences became increasingly important 19th Century, additionally took on role public educational institutions. Since then, learning from living nature with aim developing technical applications, namely biomimetics, has played a special gardens. Sir Joseph Paxton designed rainwater drainage channels roof Crystal Palace London World’s Fair 1881, having been inspired South American giant water lily (Victoria amazonica). development Lotus-Effect® Botanical Garden Bonn was self-cleaning leaf surfaces sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). At Botanic Freiburg, self-sealing foam coating pneumatic systems developed based liana stems genus Aristolochia. Currently, are both research institutions places lifelong learning. Numerous provide biomimetics trails information panels each station self-study guided tours simple experiments to demonstrate functional principles transferred biological model application. We present eight suitable setting up education about support garden biomimetics.