About Byron
Byron Garcia is the owner and CEO of NATURAL DESIGNS. Being a student of nature and life long learner, Byron has spent his career seeking how nature solves problems through its own diverse systems.
From his work overseas in Europe to his forest service in the Pacific Northwest, Byron focuses his love of the outdoors with the innovation of nature to arrive at sustainable, practical solutions for companies and communities alike.
What drew Byron to biomimicry are the layers, the deep connections beneath what is seen and what is happening. For example, the way trees talk to each other through vast, underground systems of fungi that send messages via mycelium. These systems, which are so advanced yet so non-intrusive, are at the heart of Byron’s passion for creating practical solutions based on nature’s example.
What is a “Gift”?
A gift is an expression of one’s nature and can take many forms, ranging from personal characteristics to talents, skills, knowledge, or offerings of time and empathy. A gift is rooted in one’s inherent nature and shared freely to cultivate relationships.
Natural Designs LLC is excited to announce a new partnership with Gifting Grove
“The essence of a gift is that it creates a set of relationships. The currency of a gift economy is, at its root, reciprocity.”
— Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
Gifting Grove’s philosophy is rooted in fostering a culture of reciprocity through a gift economy, where individuals give and receive gifts that strengthen relationships and build connection to nature. We believe in supporting personal growth and sustainable living through community where gifts are given freely, in harmony with sustainable values.
Our purpose is to cultivate a deeper sense of fulfillment through meaningful social traditions that honor both the planet and each other. Each interaction within the community aims to inspire a sustainable mindset and a lifestyle shift that values people, creativity, and the environment over material consumption.
Why Biomimicry?
Do you like sitting in traffic jams? Neither do ants.
If you have ever watched a column of ants move, you will see that they do so seamlessly, passing in opposite directions, without issue. This is why scientists study them when looking to improve our everyday car traffic flows.
How about buildings that stay cool without air conditioning?
You can thank termites for this innovation. By studying termite mounds, scientists and engineers were able to discover that termites drill small holes in the mounds to keep them cool. Now this same technique is being used to create cooler buildings that do not need air conditioning to stay comfortable, even in desert heat.
Nature’s designs aren’t just for the outside world; they are blueprints from which we can create a healthier planet. When experts in biomimicry, like Byron Garcia, take nature’s solutions and apply them to human challenges, great things happen.
Biomimicry helps put the “E” in ESG (environment, society, governance), creates safer, longer-lasting products, and puts us in step with nature versus working against it. There is a multitude of ways biomimicry creates healthier businesses and better communities – you just need to know where and how to apply it. This is where Solutions by Nature comes in.
Collaborating with NATURAL DESIGNS means thinking outside – not just outside the box - but about what happens outside that can be used for any number of initiatives.
For more on Byron’s work, view our Case Studies.
