Concept | 93% FOREST+7% TECH; FROGSKIN BIOMIMICRI COLLECTION¶

5 Ws who, what, when, where, why¶

Six weeks have past and I am reflecting on my presentation and initial start in week 13 Implications and applications. Please click on earlier link to learn about my ideation process. It is still spot on with what I want to achieve and answers all 5 W's. I'm also taking into account the advice not to want to do too much and focus on not too many frogs and fabrication processes. To do a few things well and given the timeline, I think that is very good advice.

who¶

For who and with whom am I exploring this theme of forest, tech and design inspired by nature (in this case poison dart frogs)?

First for myself, a woman from the Amazon. I perceive every aspect of the Amazon rainforest as a source of wealth, especially the ecosystem. There have to be new and innovative ways in which I, my family, my people, my country can prosper from this huge green gift, in a sustainable yet thriving and succesful manner.
For women and youth who want to make, discover and wear new things.
My partners and resource persons: IoTLabSu, Fabcommunity, Higher education, Designers and seamstressess, researchers and businesspeople in biomaterials and rainforest ecosystems.

what¶

To research and experiment with plants, flowers, (reclaimed) wood and sawdust, fruits, seeds, starch and/or other biomaterials from the Amazon rainforest as inputs
to create and fabricate standardized sheets of 1) Bioplastics
2) Bio composites
3) Bioleather
4) Bio silicone
5) which include Biochromes from the Amazon

Make designs which biomimic, resemble or are inspired by the colors, patterns and distinct features of Poison Dart Frogs from the Amazon Rainforest, specifically in Suriname. These designs can be the biosheets themselves or fabrication with the biosheets and other materials

Design and fabricate one or more prototypes in the Fabricademy final assignment from these biosheets with the aim to Post-Fabricademy:

1) have prototype products and further develop products for a business venture in sustainable supply chain from the Rainforest

2) to have product examples which advocate for sustainability (specifically about the rainforest and wildlife issues)

3) to advocate for more R&D and opensource information on sustainable use of rainforest biomaterials

4) to teach and mentor in STEAM, Higher education and Women entrepreneurship including bio-based materials and products.

when¶

For now I focus on creating the biosheets from samples of materials and biochromes.

where¶

Where I work on product development¶

I work in the #IoTLabSu as well as in my own workspace #DobruOso. This is in Paramaribo, Suriname. I envision my self working with women from all over the country in projects training them to discover the colors and bio materials in the forest surrounding us. In addition I also see higher education institutions as places to share knowledge and do product development. To explore the Amazon forest I've done some fieldvisits and plan to do more in the future. On a few occassions I've also made use of ZapLab facilities from Villa Zapakara.

Where the frogs live¶

The poison dart frogs however live in wet and cool areas in the shades under the forest canopy where there is no direct sunlight. They prefer water, puddles, small streams. Sometimes they even live under the ground, under leaves and in flowers. They mostly only come out at night and you can hear their mating calls literally all night buzzing through the forest as soon as the sunsets. This is how whomever is searching for them finds them since they are really tiny between 3 and 10 cm. Its the female calling the males. Some frogs like the 3stripe poison dart frog are quite common and can be found all over the forest. Others like the okopipi blue poison dart frog are rear, just in certain areas in the Sipaliwini savanne by Kwamalasamutu a Trio indigenous village near the Brazilian border.

why: Because Poison dart frogs are Gangsters ...¶

... but their natural habitat is also under pressure¶

Why Poison Dart Frogs? Frogs are part of the ecosystem and wealth of the Amazon rainforest. Frogs are the first indication for researchers if a natural ecosystem is healthy or not. In the forest the frog population will usually be abundant.

Research¶

The research for this project consists of:

Research on Amphibeans in general and Poison Dart Frogs in particular. This research consists of online articles and blogs, online learning resources, shared observations and pictures from professional nature photographers and scientific papers from researchers and institutions. In addition I interviewed experts on frogs in the rainforest.

There is alot of research on poison dart frogs. This graph in the Smithsonian Magazine stuck with me. It shows that, the brighter the colors the more poisonous the frogs are.

Reference: article Smithsonian magazine

A second line of research is on botany, the plants, flowers and forest materials to create biomaterials, biochromes, bioleathers. I spend this time searching online sources, in gardens, in forested locations in Suriname. I also interviewed experts and did some crowd and community sourcing. I've started to look at plantmaterial in a whole new way. Constantly curious at what is possible. I chose some materials but I mostly feel like alot of the materials chose or were revealed me.
Thirdly I researched and experimented with the formulas needed to create the biomaterials, applying these to the materials, finding out what works, what doesn't, what matches, what to improve. Creating and using tools such as glass preforms. Drying times, reducing fungal growth etc.
Fourth I researched what products and designs to create and I went through open source online tools to find designs. I also brainstormed on creating innovative products. At the end I decided that the development of the materials was enough innovation. I'll leave other products for the future.
Last was the digital fabrication where I collaborated with the Fab Lab (assistant) managers, to find the right settings and size, digital transfer of files etc. Finding out how some of the design software works for lasercutting the materials.

Ecological research on frogs in the Amazon¶

In a personal interview with Dr. Gwendolyn Landburg PhD., an expert in frogs, she explained the significance of frogs as an indicator for biodiversity. I learned why frogs are such a good indicator for the quality of the forest. Frogs love wet, cool and dark shady places in the forest. During the day they hide from the sun which dries out their skin but they come out as soon as the sun goes down. The whole forest starts to echo of the sound of the frog, often their mating call. Every frog has their own distinct sound and at night the researchers follow the call of the frogs to identify where they are so they can count them, measure them and classify them. This is also the reason why there are still alot of new species being discovered or new things being discovered about knowm species. In any case: economic activities such as mining, logging, road infrasdtructure and agriculture on a large scale open up the forest. As a result the sun hits the forest floor and the earth dries up making it impossible for the frogs to stick arround. They have to find new habitats and unfortunately frog counts very often show that they also die.

Attracting attention to the Rainforest¶

Mimicking frog skin with other biomaterials will attract attention to the wealth of the forest and hopefully touch hearts to keep the Amazon Rainforest pristine.

Poison dart frogs specifically are quite "Gangster". They are tiny and have a skin that is shiny and bright. The brighter the skin, the more poisonous they are. This signals to their natural enemies "DO NOT EAT ME ELSE YOU DIE!". So they make sure their enemies see them, while other species would try to disappear in their surroundings through camouflage, these critters are the real gangsters of the rainforest. That same shiny bright skin also makes sure they procreate and live on forever. Apparently they choose to mate with the brightest, shiniest stars around the swamp. And as of it is not enough to have a bright attire, they are loud, so loud! Man and beast can hear the call of the frog miles away!

A recent publication by the IUNC State of the World's Amphibians: The Second Global Amphibian Assessment sounds the alarm based on data analysis " – 2 in every 5 amphibian species are threatened with extinction, making them the most threatened vertebrate group. The amphibian crisis continues to worsen, as pressures largely driven by human activities take hold. While habitat loss and degradation remain the most common threat to amphibians, an increasing number of species are being pushed to the brink of extinction by disease and climate change effects. The urgency to act is becoming increasingly critical." Source: IUNC State of the World's Amphibians: The Second Global Amphibian Assessment

The page of Conservation International states that Suriname has 102 registered species of amphibians.

Poison Dart Frogs in Suriname live in wet areas, in fact in mountain swamps and near rivers in the far south. These are not easy places to reach. Primarily researchers, local indigenous hunters and unfortunately poachers find their way to these ecosystems. The name of poison dart frog comes from Indigenous people, hunters who use its poison to weaponize their hunting darts. They have developed a skill to put just enough on the dart to daze their prey.

Legal and illegal wildlife trade are interested in poison dart frogs for demand as pets in an aquarium. According to the IUNC this also posts a treat on the species. Another source, National Geographic posted a story of legalizing trade in poison dart frogs bred in captivity in Colombia as an example of battling the illegal trade by driving commercial prices down. Although this article states that Poison Dart frog prices went from USD150 down to USD 35, a quick google search online shows websites selling frogs between USD 55 and USD 125. Suriname is on the IUNC list as a nation allowing legal trade of wildlife.