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 # Earthworm-Inspired Soil Solution Captures First Place in Nature-Inspired Global Challenge

 

##### Student and open challenge winners announced for the world’s first food system-focused biomimicry innovation challenge

 

 

 Oct 6, 2015 10:30 AM ET

  Campaign:  [Biomimicry and Ray of Hope Accelerator](/news/campaign/biomimicry-and-ray-hope-accelerator)  ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/videos/thumbnails/170077/thumbnail-170077_0008.png)

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 ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_2x/s3/images/Living_Filtration_System_team.jpg "Living Filtration System Team") 

 

 ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_2x/s3/images/DSC_0319.JPG "Living Filtration System Team at Biomimicry Global Design Challenge Awards with Janine Benyus and Beth Rattner of Biomimicry Institute and Ray C. Anderson Foundation Trustees, Mary Anne Lanier and Harriet Langford") 

 

 

        

 

 

 



     ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_thumbnail_x2/s3/videos/thumbnails/170077/thumbnail-170077_0008.png?h=7a6e80fd)

   ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_thumbnail_x2/s3/images/Living_Filtration_System_team.jpg?h=c9f93661 "Living Filtration System Team")   ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_thumbnail_x2/s3/images/DSC_0319.JPG?h=70701937 "Living Filtration System Team at Biomimicry Global Design Challenge Awards with Janine Benyus and Beth Rattner of Biomimicry Institute and Ray C. Anderson Foundation Trustees, Mary Anne Lanier and Harriet Langford")  

   

 

October 6, 2015 /3BL Media/ - A design created to help farmers keep nutrients in the soil won first prize in the first food system-focused Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. [This innovation](https://vimeo.com/141096400), created by a team of students from the University of Oregon, was based in part on the earthworm’s digestive system and decreases the amount of fertilizer needed while improving soil health over time.

The [Biomimicry Global Design Challenge](http://challenge.biomimicry.org/), sponsored by the [Ray C. Anderson Foundation](http://www.raycandersonfoundation.org/), asks participants to tackle any aspect of the food system that could be improved by looking to nature for design guidance. In the first year of this Challenge, the focus is on key food and agriculture issues like waste, packaging, agricultural pest management, food distribution, energy use, and other solutions. Winners were announced at an awards ceremony held October 4, 2015 at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX.

[Read more.](http://www.raycandersonfoundation.org/articles/earthworm-inspired-soil-solution-captures-first-place-in-nature-inspired-global-challenge)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 [![](/sites/default/files/Clients/Screen_Shot_2014-11-05_at_3.00.07_PM.png)](/profiles/ray-c-anderson-foundation)

 



 

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