The winners of this year’s British Ecological Society Photography Competition captured animals interacting with the world around them in bold and breathtaking ways.The annual contest aims to showcase the wonder of ecology across six categories. The 2022 entrants focused on everything from prey-predator relationships and wildlife affected by human changes to the beauty of biology on a microscopic scale.

Overall Winner: A Light in the Shadows by Roberto García Roa

“Like two beacons in the dark, the striking eyes of a Helena’s treefrog seem to glow in the darkness of the night,” says García Roa, a conservation photographer and evolutionary biologist at Sweden’s Lund University.

“This image reveals the beauty of nature hidden in Tambopata, [Peru,] a region that is currently threatened by gold mining. It is paradoxical to see the eyes of this frog as small golden pearls, because in reality, the true treasure lies in ensuring the protection of this area and its inhabitants.”

Student Winner: Takeout by Sam Eberhard

Shot on the shores of Oregon’s Cannon Beach, this image depicts of a group of western gulls surrounding and squawking at a bald eagle trying to carry off its latest meal, a common murre.

“’Takeout’ is a frozen moment of intense action at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach…,” says Sam Eberhard, an environmental studies and biology student at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “While photographically documenting tufted puffins at Cannon Beach, I did not hesitate to capture a few shots of this bald eagle.”

Up Close and Personal Winner: Wild Pearls by Javier Lobon-Rovira

Javier Lobon-Rovira, a Ph.D student in biodiversity, genetics, and evolution at the University of Porto and CIBIO-InBIO, zoomed in on an endangered gold-striped salamander working its way through a nursery of eggs, their color and luminescence reminiscent of precious pearls.

Dynamic Ecosystems Winner: Invasive Battle-Fire Fierce by Javier Lobon-Rovira

Lobon-Rovira also took top honors in this category demonstrating interactions between different species within an ecosystem. “Isn’t it utopian that two invasive species cross paths in the race for survival?’ the photographer notes. “That is the case that crossed my lens when I found an army of fire ants immobilizing, killing, and causing the disappearance of a house gecko in my backyard in Florida…Eat or be eaten is the only mission in the struggle for survival.”

Individuals and Populations Student Winner: The Shrike Strikes Again! by Jennifer Holguin

“A round-tailed Horn Lizard impaled by a yucca stalk in the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico, USA. The culprit? A gray, medium-sized songbird known as the Loggerhead Shrike or Butcherbird,” says winner Jennifer Holguin, a student at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Ecology in Action Winner: Bruma by Roberto García Roa

García Roa picked up another award for his image of a dead female eagle lying face down after flying into overhead power lines. The GPS that Bruma the eagle was fitted with at birth helped scientists and authorities determine which power line caused her demise and allowed them to fix it to keep other birds from meeting the same fate.

People and Nature Winner: A New Plastic Home by Andreas Eich

The terrestrial hermit crab in this image shows its adaptability by claiming a discarded plastic bottle cap as its new shell. The scene contrasts with the idyllic beach scene in the background, according to winner Andreas Eich.

The Art of Ecology Student Winner: Diwali in the Forest by Naitik Patel

The light from a congregation of fireflies near India’s Kaziranga National Park reminded student winner Naitik Patel of the joyful feel of Diwali. He explains: “Diwali is a festival of lights. These adorable little fireflies were creating their own festival of lights by gently glowing green and creating undulating trails of light on the forest floor.”

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In her new book The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants, University of British Columbia professor Karen Bakker outlines some of the most ground-breaking experiments in animal and plant communication.

“Digital technologies, so often associated with our alienation from nature, are offering us an opportunity to listen to nonhumans in powerful ways, reviving our connection to the natural world,” writes Bakker, a director at the UBC Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability.

She points out that digital listening posts are now being used to continuously record the sounds of ecosystems around the planet, from rainforests to the bottom of the ocean. Developments in miniaturization have even enabled scientists to place microphones on tiny animals like honeybees.

“Combined, these digital devices function like a planetary-scale hearing aid: enabling humans to observe and study nature’s sounds beyond the limits of our sensory capabilities,” Bakker writes. The next step for many scientists is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to sift through these sounds and enable robots to “speak animal languages and essentially breach the barrier of interspecies communication.”

She cites a team of researchers in Germany that have taught tiny robots how to do the honeybee waggle dance. Using these dancing machines, the scientists were able to command the honeybees to stop moving, and to communicate where to fly to collect a specific nectar. The researchers plan to experiment with implanting robots into the hives so that the honeybees accept them as members of their community.

Bakker also writes about bioacoustics scientist Katie Payne and her discoveries regarding elephant communication. Payne was the first to find that elephants make infrasound signals, sounds below the human hearing range. The vibrations of these signals allow elephants to send messages across long distances through soil and stones. Scientists have since found that elephants have different signals for “honeybee” and “human,” as well as distinguishable signals for “threatening human” versus “nonthreatening human.” If the power of AI could be harnessed to send messages to elephant herds, we might be able to help protect their dwindling populations without removing them from their natural habitats.

Coral reefs also get attention in Bakker’s book. “A healthy coral reef sounds a little bit like an underwater symphony,” she explains. “There are cracks and burbles and hisses and clicks from the reef and its inhabitants and even whales dozens of miles away. If you could hear in the ultrasonic, you might hear the coral itself.” With the use of AI, scientists might eventually be able to get coral to repopulate certain areas by broadcasting “healthy coral reef” sounds to coral larvae.

While the idea of someday having “a zoological version of Google Translate” sounds overwhelmingly positive, there is the fear is that unscrupulous humans might use the technology to control animal populations for their own gain. Bakker warns that the possibility of exploiting animals “raises a lot of alarm bells” and that our “newfound powers” should never be used “to assert our domination over animals and plants.”

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“I got to spend a few days and nights in some of the Treehotel rooms right before the pandemic, and left with a sense of rejuvenation from complete immersion into nature,” says BIG founder and creative director Bjarke Ingels. “I couldn’t help wondering if there was a way to take the immersion one step further – and almost instantly the idea of inviting not only the human visitors but also the resident bird and bat population to cohabit a spherical swarm of nests came to life. After our first conversations with Ulf Öhman from Norrbotten Ornithological Association we were relieved to learn that birds don’t drop where they nest – so there is hope for the glass to remain clear within this cloud of aviary architecture.”

As the name suggests, Biosphere is a spherical suspended room that offers habitation not just to humans, but wildlife as well. BIG worked with Swedish ornithologist Ulf Öhman to craft an exterior that’s capable of welcoming up to 350 families of birds, strengthening biodiversity in the area. In addition to bird houses of various sizes designed to attract different species, there are bat houses, bee houses, and bird feeders. The treehouse is accessed by a suspended bridge stretching from the ground to the pine canopies.

“Inventories in Norrbotten County, carried out both by us as ornithologists and by the County Administrative Board, show that a number of different bird populations are decreasing,” says Öhman, chairman of the Norbotten Ornithological Association. “Forestry has led to a. Reduced number of natural holes in trees where breeding birds nest. The installation of bird nests is therefore an important measure to take. Furthermore, climate change leads to the insect boom happening earlier in the year, and by the time the birds’ eggs hatch, the boom has already passed.”

“Feeding is an important support mechanism for the birds that stay in Northern Sweden and require food during winter. Demonstrating the use of bird nests and feeding, not just at the Treehotel but for people to install near their own homes, is valuable. An initiative from Treehotel to take such measures may inspire their visitors to do the same.”

If you think the outside is cool, check out the interiors. While BIG decided to craft a comfortable space that emphasizes pragmatism and simplicity, the glass walls let guests watch as birds enter and leave the birdhouses attached to the exterior. It’s a birdwatcher’s dream, almost as if you could cozy up inside a tree trunk yourself and peer out at natural bird nests tucked within the branches.

The checkered pattern of the bird houses allows glimpses of the forest outside and transmission of natural daylight. The room also includes a living area with a chair swing, a bathroom, and a lofted bedroom. These dark interiors are designed to direct visitors’ gaze outward instead of within. Even better, guests can climb up onto the roof for 360-degree views, giving them an intimate sense of immersion in nature.

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Completed in 2021 by Invisible Studio, “Beezantium” is a fun project acting as an apiary for honeybees on the grounds of The Newt in southwest England’s Somerset hotel. Hives built into its walls accommodate the buzzing insects, which are visible from inside through panes of glass. But the structure also serves as a wildlife center for visitors, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere lined with polished honey oak. The educational showcase inside was created in collaboration with Kossmanndejong, an Amsterdam-based design agency.

The whimsical design of the exterior takes inspiration from traditional “follies,” strikingly ornate buildings commonly seen in English and French landscape gardening that are purpose-built as ornaments. Not having a purpose is part of the point, actually. Beezantium’s unusual silhouette, fish scale-shaped copper roof tiles, two oval windows, and raw cladding pay tribute to these structures, but it’s not just for decoration. Nearly every feature aims to draw in bees of all kinds.

The oversized timber panels are made of unseasoned oak, which allows the bees to enter their hive either through natural holes or copper pipes built into the structure. Beekeeper Paula Carnell consulted on the project to make sure it would be welcoming not just to the honeybee hives relocated to the apiary, but to wild bees, solitary bees, and other species, as well.

From far away, the apiary looks much smaller than it really is. It’s not until you enter that you realize its true scale, with a copper-lined ceiling that rises all the way to the peak of the roof. The exhibits and seating inside were arranged so that you wind your way through, taking it all in before reaching the final reward: the view. Invisible Studio designed the picture window so it juts out from the wall, its glass floor offering a view straight down into the water below.

Best of all might be the fact that the architects successfully crafted this lovely attraction on such an unlikely site. Occupying a former landfill, the apiary certainly makes better use of the lakeside location.

“The Beezantium has been designed to provide a sensory, otherworldly experience,” says Piers Taylor, director of Invisible Studio. “It appears jewel like, quirky, and playful – almost like a folly in landscape with a glowing copper roof, but instead of being only about pleasure, the Beezantium is a purposeful building designed to house bees in observation hives in the external walls, that can be viewed in a range of habitats internally. There is a huge extraordinary interactive and immersive exhibit that describes the world from the bees’ perspective, that is hung from the ceiling and contained within a honeycomb structure, enabling visitors to understand bees and their place in the world.”

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“This isn’t a call for an extreme return to the wild,” the CoExistence website explains. “Look around you, wherever you are. Who do you share your world with? Can we increase our coexistence everywhere, and rewild ourselves? Nature is intelligent and adapting. Other life forms will meet our efforts halfway, if only we give them the chance.”

Each elephant was crafted deep in the jungles of India’s Tamil Nadu region by indigenous communities who actually come into regular contact with the real-life giants. The sculptures were modeled after those herds that roam the southern Indian hills.

The artists there used vines from the lantana camara plant (one of the world’s 10 most invasive weeds) as their primary medium. The weed particularly plagues India, as it competes with native plants for space and changes the soil composition. By removing this unwanted vegetation from the area, the artistic project also benefitted local wildlife.

“CoExistence is a call to change the global conservation paradigm,” says Dr. Tarsh Thekaekara of The Real Elephant Collective. “From saving nature in far-away pockets to living well with nature around us. To value the human connection with nature and celebrate all life forms around us by sharing space. To encourage people to remember that they are of, and for nature. We have the capacity to heal, grow, thrive, and support symbiotically with nature, as other species do.”

The exhibition herd migrated from its birthplace in India to England’s Sudeley Castle before moving on to The Mall in London, Chelsea, St. James’ Park, and Berkeley Square. When the showings were complete, each pachyderm went on sale for $42,000 a piece, with the proceeds being given to grassroots organizations in India that promote harmonious cohabitation between indigenous peoples and the surrounding wildlife by providing technological solutions and training to local inhabitants.

The sculptures were also captured in illustrated form by British artist George Butler. Before the pandemic, his art focused on documenting the warzones of Syria and Iraq. The shutdowns pivoted him toward another conflict, that of man and nature. Butler created a limited edition print of the lantana elephants juxtaposed with The Mall in the background.

“CoExistence is confirmation of a moment when society realized they had to do more,” Butler said in an interview with My Modern Met. “And the realization that this is an issue bigger than ourselves, bigger than individuals, and indeed bigger than the human race.”

All the participants behind this migrating art hope that it will help people to see the necessity of peacefully living side by side with Earth’s other animal species. “It’s a matter of mutual survival,” said Ruth Ganesh, Elephant Family’s principal trustee in an interview with Reuters. “Saving them is really about saving ourselves.”

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Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021: “Sharks’ Skylight” – Renee Capozzola (USA)

Capozzola captured this shot of blacktip reef sharks while in French Polynesia. An avid shark enthusiast, she’s particularly excited for the publicity her photo might bring to the need for their protection. “Since many shark species are threatened with extinction throughout the world, it is my hope that images of these beautiful animals will help promote their conservation,” she said on the UPY website.

This prize was an easy call for the judges this year. “The first time I set eyes on this image I was nothing short of mesmerized. It’s the palette of colors which first attracted me…mind-blowing underwater imagery at it’s very best,” comments judge Martin Edge.

Up-and-Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021: “Tying In” – SJ Alice Bennett (Mexico)

After her careful plan to take this shot of cave training failed, Bennett had to quickly improvise before their gas reserves were depleted. She pressed the shutter just as her lighting assistants created the beautiful halo effects.

Judge Peter Rowlands explains why Bennett’s work earned the runner-up prize as such: “This strong image brought two words to mind – confidence and talent. Confident enough to pull off such an ambitious image, and talented [enough] to visualize such good composition and control complicated lighting.”

British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021, My Backyard Winner: “While You Sleep” – Mark Kirkland (UK)

Shot in an area near Kirkland’s home in Glasgow, Scotland, the photographer used a combination of long-exposure, backlighting, close-focus wide angle, split photography, and a whole lot of patience to pull off this shot. “This final shot is a culmination 25 hours over 4 nights of lying in darkness, covered in mud, waiting on nature’s unpredictable elements to align. Time well spent? Absolutely,” he says.

And the judges agree. “I honestly think that the appearance of this image will go down in the history of underwater photography as a defining moment. Perfect yet flawed, natural in urban. I think it is a masterpiece,” gushes Rowlands.

Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2021: “Aerial view of a crowded island in Guna Yala” – Karim Iliya (USA)

Karim Iliya was in this region of Panama to photograph the art of making Mola, the traditional clothing worn by the inhabitants of this island. While waiting for a ferry, he sent up his drone and took this shocking aerial scene. “The importance of humanity’s relationship with nature and the need to protect it becomes very apparent when you look at our species from a bird’s-eye perspective and see how much space we take up.”

Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021, Behavior: “A striped marlin in a high-speed hunt in Mexico” – Karim Iliya (USA)

For his second prize-winning entry, Iliya captured this terrifying scene of small fish fleeing a striped marlin. “I went to Mexico to document these feeding frenzies but was not expecting such a fast-paced hunt, almost too fast for my brain to process,” he says, adding that “for a brief moment, this scene unfolded before me and I had to rely on all my instincts and practice underwater to take this photo.”

Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021, Wrecks: “BOWLANDER” – Tobias Friedrich (Germany)

After scrapping shoots in Tiger Beach and Bimini due to bad weather, Tobias Friedrich and his team tried a spot near Nassau in the Bahamas. They were surprised to find a totally new and precariously-perched shipwreck.

Judge Rowlands comments: “Images leap out for several reasons; David and Goliath scale, magnitude, and unambiguity to name three, and this image has all of those and more. If you want to know the secret formula for a classic wreck shot, look no further.”

These are just a few of the show-stopping 2021 victors and runners-up from this year’s contest. The rest of the awards and finalists can be viewed on the UPY Winners webpage.

Here are a few more breathtaking images for the road:

UPY Compact Winner: “Doule (Kuhlia Rupestris) near the surface” – Jack Berthomier (New Caledonia)

UPY Wide Angle Runner-Up: “Gothic Chamber” – Martin Broen (New Caledonia)

UPY Macro Runner-Up: “Larval Lionfish” – Steven Kovacs (USA)

UPY British Waters Compact Winner: “Sunrise Mute Swan Feeding Underwater” – Ian Wade (UK)

The post Dive Deep Into These Mind-Blowing “Underwater Photographer of the Year” Entries first appeared on Dornob.

Currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, Birdsy AI is a video solution designed for birders and wildlife watchers capable of identifying birds and wildlife for all of North America and Europe. As more users participate, the system gets smarter, learning to identify additional species over time. Recordings are saved and labeled automatically and sent to your smartphone or computer.

The Birdsy AI app lets you watch a live stream or your saved videos from anywhere, so you can check in even when you’re at work or on vacation. The system also generates titles and thumbnail images so you can see the animals that have been by your feeder at a glance. It’ll even group videos of the same species together, though you can also browse by specific dates and times if you prefer.

Save the best moments by marking them as favorites, and get instant notifications when a new species appears so you can watch them right away (or peek at them in person, if you’re home). You can also share your favorite clips to social media at the touch a button. And if you enjoy checking out what other users are seeing in their own yards, whether they’re your neighbors or all the way across the world, you can check out the app’s “Wild Live TV” for popular videos and live cams.

The system’s Kickstarter page notes that “beta users report that they discover new birds and behavior with Birdsy. Birdsy gets you up close and personal without disturbing the natural behavior of wildlife. Beta users watch Birdsy before, during, or after work. Birdsy offers daily entertainment and is quite ‘addictive.’”

Setup is quick and simple. You’ll just need a permanent outdoor power source and a Wi-Fi signal with a minimum of 1 mbps upload speed. If your feeder is too far from your router to get a signal, you can purchase a Wi-Fi repeater or use a hardwired ethernet cable to keep your Birdsy going. The camera can be mounted on a pole, tripod, or arm, or screwed to a fence or wooden panel. Since it’s always plugged in and connected, you don’t have to worry about changing batteries or memory cards. And unlike other trail and action cams, there’s no monthly fee for cloud storage.

The camera offers full HD 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second and smart infrared night vision, so it’ll capture birds, squirrels, and other critters after dark, too. A built-in microphone captures audio, and the camera has both manual and automatic focus, so you can choose to zoom in or sharpen one bird over another when you’re in live mode.

Backers supporting this project on Kickstarter can get their own Birdsy AI camera, mount, power adapter, ethernet cable, and free shipping for pledges starting at $199. The camera will retail for $279 when it goes up for sale to the public later this year.

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Sullam and Joynson-Hicks, who pride themselves on “conservation through competition,” started the contest five years ago, feeling the world needed a photography contest that was cheerful, positive, and unassuming that shined a light on animals doing comical things. More significantly, they wanted to raise awareness about conservation.

Now that the 2020 awards have started accepting submissions, we thought we’d go over a few of our favorite categories to get your comedic juices flowing. Just make sure to send in your funniest photos by the June 30th deadline!

The Alex Walker’s Serian Creatures of the Land Category

Submit up to three of your most amusing pictures of wildlife that lives on the land. Simple and easy. And no worries if you enter the wrong category — the team will be sure to fix it for you.

The Spectrum Creatures in the Air Category

Bats, birds, and pretty much any animal that flies is appropriate for this category. Just make sure it’s funny!

The ThinkTank Photo Junior Category

Kids are talented photographers, too, of course, and the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards also welcome their submissions. Participants in this category just have to be less than 16 years old by 11:59 pm on June 30th. If you’re unsure of a particular rule or submission, just shoot your questions to Tom and PJ via email.

The Amazing Internet Portfolio Category

Since this one of the most difficult categories, the awards team offers its entrants a couple tips. For starters, your collection must have four images. They don’t have to be related to one another, but you’re sure to score more points if they are. For example, you might submit four hilarious frames all featuring jungle cats.

The Underwater Category

This group has to include creatures that actually live in the water, like fish and marine mammals. If you submit a zebra swimming across a lake, it sadly won’t count.

The Video Clip Category

You can submit no more than two video clips in this category, each one of which must be 60 seconds or less. A maximum resolution of 1080p HD at 30fps, and a maximum file size of 150MB, are the upper limits here, but anything below those numbers will also work just fine. Just be sure the clips are uploadable by Vimeo.

The post The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are Now Accepting 2020 Submissions first appeared on Dornob.

Bustler, a site dedicated to keeping design aficionados entertained and challenged at all times, keeps an ongoing database of design and architecture competitions. Got any building ideas you always wanted to see implemented in the real world? The pandemic is just the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, so use the site’s deadline motivation to sharpen your pencils and reset the password on your digital design software. While the specific competitions on here come and go, there are generally always challenges in categories related to architectural design, housing solutions, and animal habitats.

These are the competitions currently going on, but remember that they’re just a sample of what may be available later, so be sure to check back soon!

Cool Abu Dhabi Challenge

If you’ve got a passion for the city of Abu Dhabi, you might find it interesting to try designing outdoor cooling solutions for it. Seriously, how should its inhabitants deal with living in that kind of heat? Help the community enjoy outdoor activities more comfortably and work in some energy savings while you’re at it. Above all else, the prompt asks entrants to manage the challenges of the area by submitting a plan that addresses the “Heat Island Effect” through design. This one ends May 12th and will net the winner $100,000.

Mega Dunes Ecolodges — Abu Dhabi

Another challenge in Abu Dhabi centers around sustainable design and the protection of local wildlife. The Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) has committed to building a community of around 25 lodges that would allow for viewing of the once-thought-to-be-extinct Arabian Oryx. The competition brief explains: “Established in 2018, the ‘Sheikh Zayed Protected Areas Network’ consists of 13 terrestrial protected areas and covers over 15 percent of Abu Dhabi’s territory. The Qasar Al Sarab Protected Area covers 1,304 square kilometers in which the Arabian Oryx roams freely; and the Arabian Oryx Protected Area, which covers 5,975 square kilometers, is home to the largest population of Arabian Oryx in the world.”

Entrants to this contest must propose a way to incorporate the goals of the organization while protecting sensitive lands and keeping the best interest of the animals at the forefront of the design. The deadline is July 10th, and cash prizes range from anywhere between $500 and $3,000.

Legendary Bird Home 2020

If your idea of design is working with your hands and power tools, the Legendary Bird Home 2020 competition might be just the escape you need. Sponsored in coordination with Birdly, the goal is to inspire citizens of the world to be more proactive in protecting wildlife. And who knows? Yours could very well be the birdhouse design that wins, as long as it’s made with easy-to-source materials, environmentally sustainable (no plastic), and something that laymen woodworkers can put together at home. Get your registration in before May 14th, and you could win up to $3,000 and get your birdhouse design put into production.

HOME: Design Your Dream

From functional to fantastical, the HOME: Design Your Dream competition gives you an opportunity to design the home you’ve always wanted. Surrealism and imaginative expression are highly encouraged.

You can also use Bustler to help design a wine-tasting room, meditation cabins, or a home for a family in Africa, alleviate the London housing crisis, create a new airport terminal, or design a Food Academy logo, among tons of other options.

The site is frequently updated with new briefs, so clear your quarantine calendar and pick a project to start today.

The post Architecture and Design Competitions to Keep You Busy During Quarantine first appeared on Dornob.

Currently in development, the complex will consist of two enclosed biomes. The Northern Biome reflects the botanic diversity found among Oman’s Northern Mountains, while the Southern Biome will hold the forested habitats of the Dhofar region. These glass structures echo the natural topography of the areas they’re replicating, undulating in waves and connecting to each other and the rest of the gardens via walkways and cable cars.

Visitors feel like they’re meandering through the wadis, mountains, and deserts of Oman in this immersive man-made landscape, experiencing all of the sultanate’s beautiful plant life in a matter of a few hours. Much of this flora is endemic to Oman, meaning you won’t find it anywhere else in the world, and many of the species are also endangered. The 420-hectare (about 1,037 acres) site is one of only a few locations in the world where the ancient seabed is still visible. That’s because tectonic activity has elevated the bed to 100 meters (about 328 feet) above sea level.

The eight defined habitats are arranged at the center of complex alongside a visitor center and educational/research facilities. The layout considers things like passive and active shading, efficient plant irrigation, natural daylight optimization, and a careful study of foot traffic to produce a harmonious and sustainable whole. All of the buildings are being designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the globally-recognized standard for sustainability.

“The Oman Botanic Garden is an astonishing project with many layers of interwoven cultural and environmental significance,” says Keith Brewis, Partner at Grimshaw Architects. “Its scale and diversity is truly world-leading, and we are honored to work as the architects for a project that has the conservation of bio-diversity as a core design driver.”

“At Arup we have enjoyed the many unique challenges presented by the Oman Botanic Garden; from designing natural and authentic landscapes to recreating the cool mists of the Khareef,” says Ed Clarke, Associate Director of Arup. “More than 700 of our multi-disciplinary engineers and specialist designers were engaged to explore and find solutions that would befit such an ambitious and creative brief. The Oman Botanic Garden must surely be one of the most marvelous projects in the world.”

“The Oman Botanic Garden project set itself and the entire design team unique cultural and technical objectives, and aspirations,” says Alisdair Hinshelwood, Designer and Director at hsd. “Hsd has relished working on a project where the botanical, landscape, and cultural heritage of Oman is being expressed through the detailed scientific research, technical design, and sheer creative enthusiasm of the entire time, client and design alike.”

The post Garden Will Be World’s Largest Ecological Oasis first appeared on Dornob.

Tekuma Frenchman consists of Kun Qian and Marwan Aboudib, two dual-degree students from the MIT Center for Real Estate (CRE) and the Department of Architecture, along with their professor Dennis Frenchman and urban designer Naomi Hebert. The firm’s other projects include the Seoul Digital Media City in South Korea and the Digital Mile in Zaragoza, Spain.

Ocean’s Edge is designed as a 21st century “ocean living edge” with integrated flood prevention strategies that will help revitalize the area’s coastal ecology even amidst a gargantuan development.

Much of the architecture and infrastructure will float or be built directly above the water, while some occupies the existing coastline. But all of it is set amidst replanted mangrove trees and other natural means of protecting the shore and creating more space for local wildlife. Putting so much of the city on piers, islands, and floating structures will also minimize the need to alter the coastal environment too much, which could disrupt the flow of water very easily.

The inclusion of the native mangroves is a key part of the Ocean’s Edge project, according to MIT. They say: “Tekuma Frenchman’s design will regenerate an indigenous mangrove forest to protect the shoreline from waves, retain soil, support biodiversity, and help clean the water. The design also provides a habitat for fish. The growth of the forest will be monitored by sensors controlling the mix of freshwater runoff with salt water, ensuring an ideal habitat for optimum growth of marine fauna and flora. In this way, Ocean’s Edge both senses and responds to the natural environment.”

“Sea-level rise and storm surge from the South China Sea is a concern in Shenzhen. Ocean’s Edge helps prevent flooding by using the regenerated mangrove forest as a natural protection from storm surge.”

“There’s a sustainable matrix into which this contemporary city is built,” Frenchman adds.

Another aim of the city is the promotion of a high-tech marine-based economy. An industrial area located on the water will house research and development for deep-sea exploration and resource extraction using autonomous undersea vehicles.

In addition to all the housing and amenities you’d expect to find in any other city, the marine development creates a new multi-level street network connected to an underground metro system, which itself separates freight and logistics vehicles from pedestrians through an elevated central spine and a peripheral ring that slopes toward the water.

The centerpiece of Ocean’s Edge is a pier that extends activities from the world’s largest convention center directly to the waterfront, hosting entertainment and exhibition venues like a deep-sea aquarium, clubs, water sports, and cinemas along with offices, restaurants, and a ferry terminal.

“Over the years we have been researching and implementing a new methodology to design cities that celebrate production, making places that are human-centric and productive,” says Kun Qian. “We believe that the future is moving toward a productive urbanism, where companies from all economic sectors also participate in the shaping of our public realm and creating unique experiences for people. The Ocean Edge proposal is a great testimony to this approach.”

Work has already begun on the site, with some of the most important foundations set to be constructed by 2022. Still, the city itself is expected to take about 20 years to fully complete.

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Over the last two decades, green roofs have grown from a rarity to a hot trend gracing even the largest of architectural projects, bringing the feel of natural environments to surprisingly urban settings. Now, landscape architecture firm Buro Harro imagines a whole new kind of vegetated rooftop installation for Amsterdam’s innovative Groenmarkt apartment building, which is currently under construction. When it’s finished, the building will be topped by a hilly, sand dune-covered landscape surrounding a saltwater swimming pool.

Groenmarkt is an unusual, sustainability-minded urban apartment building packed with a variety of features designed to welcome local wildlife in. Designed by Paul de Ruiter Architects and situated between the Singelgracht and the Marnixstraat on a site that was formerly home to a beloved farmer’s market, the development consists of two standalone buildings set into a park-like environment.

The Paul de Ruiter team initially envisioned a more standard kind of vegetable garden for the rooftop, paying homage to the site’s history, but Buro Harro’s ultimate plan aims to provide a more tranquil refuge for the buildings’ residents, mimicking the experience of going to the beach. After all, Amsterdam can be a windy, chilly place, and these conditions are even more dramatic when experienced high up on a rooftop. The designers explain that coastal imagery felt like a fitting (if not immediately obvious) match for the setting, especially since the roar of traffic could be likened to the sound of crashing waves.

“Now you no longer have to leave Amsterdam to go to the beach,” they say. “People, plants, and animals will really come together in this building in downtown Amsterdam. A building where both people and birds, bees, bats, and butterflies [can] live! At Amsterdam’s Groenmarkt, a truly nature-inclusive construction will arise. Its facades are designed to be simultaneously overgrown and inhabited by animals, and on the roof, [there’s] a dune landscape where you can swim!”

“On top of the Singelgracht-block, a spectacular dune landscape appears, including a natural swimming pool. The greenhouse and wooden deck terrace provide space for residents to work, relax, and have fun. Or grow plants. Neighbors of the Nassaukade, Groenmarkt, and Marnixstraat will have a beautiful new and almost soft view. This will be a meaningful place to meet for young and old folks, sparrows and busy bees. Here, we embrace the city outside as well as inside.”

Space for wildlife isn’t limited to the ground and rooftop levels, either. The designers integrated holes into the bricks on the building’s facades for nesting birds, as well as several planting boxes at various points. On top of that, the sides of the building are completely covered in vertical greenery, while the street-facing facades are designed to give a fresh, modern take on the existing architectural style of the bustling Marnixstraat. To help each of the apartments feel more tranquil, the architects placed the bedrooms on the quieter, shady side of the building.

Observers occasionally question whether recent trends toward highly vegetated architectural concepts are realistic, particularly because of the weight of the soil needed to support all those plants. In this case, it’s hard to say whether the dunes on the roof will require a little extra support, particularly since the renderings depict full-sized trees. But finding ways to engineer urban architecture that are up to the task seems to be well worth it. And how nice would it be to see more wildlife habitats and “natural” places pop up in big cities?

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Matilde Boelhouder believes designers are obligated to think about issues like these, blurring the boundaries between art, design, science, and biology. With this in mind, the Dutch designer has created a series of projects called Insectology, all of which celebrate bugs and work toward helping them thrive.

The series began with a collection of “still life” sculptures called Terra Incognita, mixing delicate metallic plants with preserved specimens in hopes of encouraging viewers to zoom in and look at things that are usually difficult to notice. Next came Insectology Sweets: a series of insect-based confections served up on golden spoons.

“The confections from the Insectology collection were developed as a taste sensation and are meant to make the idea of consuming insects more appealing,” says Boelhouder, adding: “Precisely because we in the West have an aversion to insects, but at the same time it would help alleviate food shortages if more people ate them, it is important for insects to undergo a change of image. So that you don’t actually have to eat the locusts, I have developed some basic ingredients which contain the essential taste of these insects, but which can then be prepared and served in different ways.”

The designer’s Insectology kit of insect care tools is meant to be worn like jewelry, containing tweezers for feeding and handling bugs, a vaporizer made with jewel beetle wings to mist them with water, a small brush to help remove mites, and a mesh terrarium.

“Population growth continues apace, whilst food and other resources become ever more scarce. It has become imperative therefore to look for new solutions by adopting different approaches to these types of problems. I have studied the insect world from the point of view of how insects could function as an alternative source, which has resulted in the production of a series of insect terraria. Through these products, the insect world can be seen in a much more aesthetically pleasing light, thereby increasing the perceived value of these animals and radically changing the way in which we view them.”

Last in the series is Insectology: Food for Buzz, a project examining the crucial relationship between flowers and insects. Boelhouder notes that our urban habitats don’t provide enough flowers to support insect populations. Of course, the obvious answer is to plant more flowers wherever we can, but what about places in which living flowers just aren’t practical? For that, the designer presents beautifully crafted artificial flowers that can serve as an emergency food source for the “big five of pollination,” which are bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, and moths.

“Together with engineers and scientists these five colorful manmade flowers have been developed to be self-sustaining and continuously producing natural objects that form the ultimate attractions to those of the big five. Adjusted to the length of their tongues, faceted eyes and shape of preference, these flowers aim to take over all unused empty spots and [bring] back the buzzing and fluttering sounds of those small creatures we can’t ever miss in our cityscape.”

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The Recycled Island Foundation opened its first “Recycled Park” this summer, a series of floating structures made from 1,000 square feet of diverted waste. Not only is the park a fun new destination complete with walkways, conversation pits, and tiny islands, but it also provides a home for ultra-important species of snails, beetles, fish, and other creatures that help keep the river ecosystem healthy.

“Plastic waste is a structural problem in open waters,” explains the organization. “Via rivers a subsequent part of plastic litter enters our seas and oceans, where it becomes part of the plastic soup. The New Meuse is an important European river that takes the pollution from the inland to the sea.”

“The Rotterdam municipality has the desire to realize more green areas. Floating green can take an important role in this as a floating park or green shore. The plastics in the New Meuse are relatively fresh and have therefore a good recycling potential.”



To do this, the organization had to deploy three “litter traps” in the river over a 1.5-year trial period. Volunteers tested, monitored, and optimized the traps as they collected trash and recyclables from the water before sorting and processing the plastic. In the future, these traps could be reproduced and used in rivers all around the world.

The Recycled Island Foundation team collaborated with Wageningen University, one of the world’s foremost authorities on effective recycling techniques, to create the hexagonal “building blocks” that serve as the park’s foundation. The result is a honeycomb-like structure that keeps the unusual riverside recreational facility afloat — and it looks pretty cool, too.

Developed with the support of the local government, the park helps raise awareness of plastic pollution, and its artificial islands support lots of diverse plant life. Animals like ducks have already moved in, too, and small fish and birds take shelter in a “canal” that runs through the center of the park so they can grow and mature before moving out into the open water. The undersides of the plastic islands have been given a rough finish to encourage the growth of aquatic plants that harbor fish eggs.

Even with this success, the Recycled Island Foundation considers the project a work in progress, hoping to eventually incorporate new types of aquatic platforms into the park. In the future, they may even expand the park or open new locations. Either way, the Floating Park is a great example of how we can rethink our use of plastics in creative new ways.

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While many of these efforts have been valiant and even somewhat successful, one new tool from four Royal College of Art and Imperial College London postgraduates goes way beyond conventional wildlife preservation methods. Instead of relying on isolating endangered species, this tool notifies animals of impending human risks using high-tech bio-logging tags, ideally giving them ample time to escape the looming danger.

How the System Works

Humpback whales and collared peccaries (small mammals native to Central and South America) are the two species Duncan Carter, Mick Geerits, Arthur Gouillart, and Eirini Malliaraki intend to protect with their bio-logging tags. Instead of relying solely on passive observation, animals could use the tags to salvage and alter their own habitats after being alerted of impending danger.

The group stated in one interview: “It is generally understood that the resilience of ecosystems is reliant upon its biodiversity. Currently a lot of conservation efforts approach nature as a static system that we shouldn’t interfere with. However, the extinction phenomenon we are witnessing has its own momentum, and just mitigating our impact won’t suffice.”

Humpback Whale Device

The endangered humpback transports several sources of nourishment to the surface of the ocean, thereby sustaining million of microbial lifeforms. This new apparatus would be fastened to the whale using suction cups (the same way existing data-logging tags are attached to them). However, this tool has an underwater speaker incorporated into it to dynamically communicate with the whale by way of noise prompts. Different sounds tell the whale when ships are nearby, persuading the animal to relocate to more secure waters and build new homes away from major shipping paths.

Collared Peccary Apparatus

Collared peccaries are little pig-like animals that deforested areas depend on to spread seeds for regrowth. Their new tags, which themselves are attached to a pain-free collar, start vibrating whenever humans approach. In the center of the bio-tag is a chip that powers an integrated computer-vision algorithm. The warning system encourages the peccaries to seek out open space and create safer habitats devoid of poachers and farms.

Looking Forward

The scholars designed the tags as an alternative to the conservation efforts that are currently prevailing — most of which are passive and fail to promote a hands-on approach to wildlife preservation. Although their new concepts are still being tested for effectiveness and safety, the group is hopeful. A spokesperson for them commented: “We aimed to redefine human-animal interaction by designing for the animal and ecosystem, as opposed to using a human-centered design process that has become the standard in design.”

“We chose to design for these animals because they are ecosystem engineers,” said Gouillart. “Like humans, they engineer their environment, but not only for their own benefit, they also bring food and shelter to other species when doing so.”

The post How Technology is Helping Endangered Species Prevent Their Own Extinction first appeared on Dornob.

Hefer firmly believes that “it’s important to show what beauty humans are capable of with their hands rather than the destructive mass production that technology is driving the modern consumerist society towards.” The surface of each pod has been embroidered, embellished, felted, stitched, and crocheted in a unique way to develop differences in textures, resulting in a more realistic depiction of each creature’s skin or scales and making all of them more fun to squeeze, stroke, touch, and sleep on.

The “Endangered” series will be available for sale in an extremely limited capacity, with just three pods per animal being made. 25 percent of the proceeds will be donated to actor Leonardo di Caprio’s wildlife conservation program in a bid to help secure the future of our planet.

Hefer notes: “It’s the future of the next generation that I am concerned about and the state of the world they inherit. Looking after our animals and earth is one thing, but [we also care about] the preservation of human skills, crafts, and traditions.”

The animal-inspired cocoons were originally showcased at the utopia-themed 2016 London Design Biennale, where Hefer had large lion and crocodile pods suspended from the ceiling. These soft leather pods were playfully designed to evoke a fun, liberating, and childlike emotion in everyone who clambered inside them. After receiving an overwhelmingly positive reaction in London, he decided to continue the collection into the future, ultimately choosing to focus more on raising awareness for endangered species.

“The floating sensation has been likened to that of being back in the womb. It blocks you off from the world and protects you — almost like going back to the beginning, giving one a chance to do things differently. They are their own little islands of utopia. There are no power jacks or chargers, screens, or Wi-Fi.”

Porky Hefer

Hefer is a South African activist, designer, and agitator who has committed his life and works to promoting environmental change. Best known for creating conceptual, three-dimensional forms that convey simple public messages, Hefer’s meticulously-crafted projects are fueled by the reactions and energies of those that view them. Rather than trying to emulate foreign processes, Hefer makes a cultural effort to embody his home of Africa, utilizing the skills that are already available to the people there.

Celebrated as one of South Africa’s most well-received creative people, big brands like Nike, American Express, BMW, Coco-Cola and Durex have previously commissioned Hefer to work for them. In 2007, Hefer founded Animal Farm: a collective that continues to to prove just how powerful creative collaborations can be.

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