We can study a common feature of any plant: a prickly spine, a cluster of tiny hairs, the shape of a leaf, a color from a botanical pigment, the length of a flower stalk, a scent, a tasty flavor, etc. These everyday details of plants can be looked at from an entirely new perspective, giving us even more respect for that plant's design and purpose. These little architectural or functional points are speaking out to us, telling us of the struggle to survive, and demonstrating the brilliant solutions that nature has bestowed. This program leads an audience toward stories as old as time itself.

Another thought-provoking part of this class in design involves identifying human inventions that were inspired by specific natural items.

Bio: Mark Warren is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Georgia. At Medicine Bow, his nationally renowned wilderness school in the Southern Appalachians, he teaches nature classes and survival skills of the Cherokees. The National Wildlife Federation named him Georgia's Conservation Educator of the Year in 1980. In 1998 Mark became the U.S. National Champion in whitewater canoeing, and in 1999 he won the World Championship Longbow title.

Warren has written extensively about nature for local and national magazines. He lectures on Native American history and survival skills, and Western Frontier History presenting at museums and cultural centers around the country. He is a member of the Wild West History Association, and Western Writers of America. His Wyatt Earp, An American Odyssey trilogy was honored by WWA's Spur Awards, The Historical Novel Society and the 2020 Will Rogers Medallion Awards under the original hardback editions, Born to the Badge (2018) and Promised Land (2019.) Warren is a 2022 Georgia Author of the Year for his book Song of the Horseman. Indigo Heaven and The Cowboy, The Librarian and The Broomsman are both 2022 Will Rogers Medallion Awards winners.

His published books include: from Lyons Press, Two Winters in a Tipi and Secrets of the Forest (a four volume series on nature and primitive skills), from Five Star - Gale Cengage and Two Dot, Wyatt Earp, An American Odyssey (a historical fiction trilogy on the life of Wyatt Earp,) from Five Star - Gale Cengage Indigo Heaven, The Cowboy, The Librarian and the Broomsman from the anthology Librarians of the West: A Quartet, Westering Trail Travesties, and A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney, and from Speaking Volumes, Song of the Horseman, Last of the Pistoleers, and A Tale Twice Told.