How Nature Builds Resilient Communities

Nature is the ultimate master of endurance and resilience - after all there are millions of years of experience as proof. A few years ago I connected with Lily Urmann, a passionate biomimic inspired to create a platform that enables communities to share resources before, during and after a natural disaster or emergency.

As the idea grew, through feedback and advisory from various sources, another the platform NeighborNET was born, along with the space which created it, Brilliant By Nature, a biomimicry hub. I’m currently working with Lily as Communications & Branding Advisory to bring these to market successfully.

The challenge of climate emergencies and disasters

As climate change gained momentum over the past few decades, there has also been an increase in natural disasters and in their severity. Response time and relief for communities that are affected by this increase in natural disasters as well as emergencies is often limited and slow. Friction in the form of the processes and funding restrictions tied to relief efforts, negatively impact the time and availability of resources that are available for people in these affected communities.

As Founder Janine Benyus states, biomimicry strategies acknowledge that “life creates conditions conducive to life”. Through observing and understanding how successful networks have managed to decrease friction, NeighborNET will merge the natural world’s wisdom with our need for new approaches in organizing and resource sharing during and after climate emergencies. 

It all began with a walk in the woods; the strategies for resilience found in the forest inspired the focus on mycelial networks and their approach to facilitating healthy ecosystems.

Creating resilient communities

NeighborNET is being developed to connect communities to resources that are immediately available or needed before, during and after natural disaster events. Currently, there is no application for people and organizations to communicate and share resources effectively at these crucial times.

Some available tools have accurate information about disasters (listed as hurricanes, wild fires, earthquakes, avalanches, tsunamis, etc.) but they lack the crucial resource-sharing functionality. NeighborNet will enable people and organizations to provide real-time relief and response in their neighborhood.

By asking “How does nature build resilience and share/distribute resources?”, the team researched the following strategies: mycorrhizal networks, mycelium, stress signaling, and nurse shrubs.

Find out more about NeighborNET here.