Camila Hernandez
I was actually in the audience at the Bioneers 2016, when John Lanier, Executive Director of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and sponsor of the grand prize in the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge, announced that the two Camilas (Camila Hernadez and Camila Gretacos) won the $100,000 Ray of Hope Prize. To be honest, I actually thought the two of them were BioNurses. What I found out later is that they were part of the BioNurse team from the Ceres Regional Center for Fruit and Vegetable Innovation in Chile. There are many reasons this BioNurse’s BioPatch design received this prestigious award and they are all about creating healthy soil, being waste-free, self-sustaining and low cost. The BioPatch was inspired by nature and the design mimics the way hardy “nurse” plants establish themselves in degraded soils and pave the way for new plant species to grow. Simply put, they are one solution to ways we can feed a global population by developing biomimetic solutions to climate change. Prepare to be fascinated and filled with hope. This show made possible due to the generous support of The Fairfax Companies.