Garden Lecture

Biomimicry: Water in the Designed Landscape

Mike Marek, Landscape Ecologist, President & Founder of Marek Landscaping

Mike will share how Biomimicry, designing the way nature does, transforms how we approach the design challenges of stormwater infrastructure in the Great Lakes region.

We'll talk about the water features of Villa Terrace, define biomimicry, share some cool examples, and discuss how we can mimic nature for stormwater design and landscapes that are both resilient and elegant. Through real project stories and vivid field photos, we'll explore how healthy natural systems slow, spread, absorb, and clean water, and what it looks like to apply those same principles in the places we live.

Mike Marek is the President and Landscape Ecologist of Marek Landscaping, llc, an Ecological Restoration, and Landscape Architecture firm founded in 1996 with the mission to “Protect and restore ecosystems where people and nature connect.” Marek had the honor of building the gardens of Villa Terrace from the ground up.