In this episode of the Regenerative Rising Podcast, Elevating Stories Activating Change, host Nisha Mary Poulose engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Desiree Driesenaar, a renowned biomimicry professional, systems designer, and educator. In this enlightening episode, Desiree shares her journey of personal evolution and transition from a traditional business setting, marked by pollution and extraction, to a more nature-inspired approach. As an advisor to the European Union Commission, Desiree’s expertise lies in biomimicry, systems change, the blue economy, ecology, and nature-based infrastructure.
The conversation delves into the concept of nature-based infrastructure and its intersection with biomimicry and holistic science. Desiree emphasizes the importance of creating diversity, a key factor in nature that fosters abundance. By thinking creatively and producing locally, we can emulate nature’s principles and allow abundance to naturally flourish. Desiree provides compelling examples of global projects employing biomimicry, offering accessible technical insights into this innovative field.
Nisha and Desiree explore the idea of collective imagination, critiquing mainstream media’s influence on shaping a dystopic future. Desiree envisions an alternative reality, discussing the role of collective consciousness in evolutionary biology and how tapping into this mysterious “void” can lead to profound healing—an experience she personally underwent in her journey of overcoming cancer. The discussion highlights the need for new stories and collective narratives that embrace innovation and suspense without succumbing to dystopian violence and hatred.
As the conversation unfolds, Desiree lays out a practical roadmap for co-creating this new reality. Addressing climate resilience, community activation, and ecosystem restoration, she emphasizes the importance of connecting local communities with their environments. Desiree concludes with a powerful message, asserting that the world will be vastly different in 200 years, urging us not to succumb to fear but to seize the present opportunity to change, reconnect with ecosystems, and foster imaginative, diverse solutions. Now is the time, she suggests, to courageously shape the world we want to see rise.