Hands-on Biomimicry Exhibit Challenges, Delights

Each year, the Bryan Innovation Lab brings Visiting Innovators to campus to share their time and talent with students and families. On March 23, Steward will welcome Visiting Innovator Richard James MacCowan, founder of the Biomimicry Innovation Lab. Mr. MacCowan brings a global perspective on how nature inspires innovation. 

In preparation for Mr. MacCowan’s visit, students from all divisions have been learning about biomimicry, the practice of emulating designs that are found in nature in order to solve modern-day problems. 

Lower Schoolers enjoyed a biomimicry challenge, creating models of playground equipment that mimic nature! Designs included a sheltered play area inspired by a turtle shell, and a rock-climbing wall modeled after the way geckos ascend steep surfaces.

In the week preceding Mr. MacCowan’s visit, the Bryan Innovation Lab was teeming with activity as Spartans engaged in interactive exhibits such as termite mound building, seed parachute design and testing, and hornet nest building. 

Rosalie Deasy ’30 was hard at work fashioning a butterfly out of colorful pipe cleaners. 

“I’m doing a challenge to make a creature out of pipe cleaners,” she said proudly. “In my class with [Middle School Science Teacher] Mrs. [Sarah] Bain, we’re learning about fossils and how to calculate their age.” She added, “The biomimicry fair is interesting and cool!”

Parker Joyner ’32 said his favorite part of the biomimicry exhibit was the opportunity to use a microscope to peer into a world seldom seen. 

“I was able to view the mouth of a mosquito through the microscope,” he said excitedly, as he continued fashioning the seed parachute. “It was really small!”

Nearby, a group of eighth graders gathered around a huge, papier-mache-covered sphere suspended on a string hanging from the ceiling. Each student took a turn adding strips of paper to the orb, which were slathered in paste. They were mimicking the complicated work of hornets building a nest. 

Standing nearby, Amy Nobile, Bryan Innovation Lab assistant, explained that wasps build their nests by chewing wood fibers from trees and mixing them with their saliva. 

“The resulting pulp is a kind of ‘paper’ that they use to create their nests,” said Ms. Nobile, as she handed a real (dried) wasp nest to show the students. “It’s a fascinating process.” 

During the school day on March 23, Mr. MacCowan will meet with Spartans of all ages and share his observations on the connections between nature and sustainable design, engineering, and entrepreneurship. The school day will also include a keynote for Middle/Upper School students. 

After school, the entire Steward community is invited to a Biomimicry Fair from 3:15-4 p.m. in the Bryan Innovation Lab. You won’t want to miss this hands-on event! 

In addition, a public keynote for parents, Upper Schoolers, and the Richmond design community will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. 

Mr. MacGowan’s visit aligns with Steward’s 2025-26 schoolwide theme of nature and strategic plan, Compass 2028, which includes a commitment to “hands-on learning, sustainability, and student well-being.”