Interview with Boróka Szőcs and Gergő Vizeli, representatives of the Biomimetics Innovation and Education Association

- ABOUT TRAVEL, NATURE AND EDUCATION -

Boróka Szőcs and Gergő Vizeli are a Hungarian traveling couple for whom traveling has always been a way of life. They have been to many places, but a year ago, they left their usual lifestyle behind and set off on a trip around the world. Their destination is Australia, Oceania, and the Southeast Asia region. They spent half a year in Australia, where they traveled across half the continent, lived in a car, ventured into the thick of rainforests, and crossed desolate landscapes, getting to know the true face of untouched, wild Australia. They currently live in New Zealand, from where they will continue to the archipelago of Asia to pursue their adventure around the world. The purpose of their journey is not only discovery and adventure; as representatives of a civil society organization (Biomimetics Education and Innovation Association), they set the goal of finding and sharing sustainable solutions inspired by nature with others along the way, so they held various scientific lectures and workshops in major cities. In this interview, they talk about why they set out for this end of the world, what biomimicry is, and what experiences they gained during their time in Australia and New Zealand.

Aucklevél: Tell us a little about yourself. How long have you been traveling? What is the purpose of your travels?

Szőcs Boróka: We set off a year ago. The idea of going on a longer trip was born in us many, many years ago, when we got to know each other. We think that during a long trip we understand ourselves and each other better. We can return home as different people: we can react more flexibly and more openly to the world and events. We believe that adaptability and acceptance are the skills that make everyday life easier and happier. During travel, we get to know people, different customs, and stories that enrich us. We look for moments in which everything else is excluded - for example, we see something fascinating and we focus entirely on that moment - and we aren't burdened by things like taking a photo of the water meter reading, which we've been putting off for three months. For some time, we felt that we were fulfilling a system's expectations. And in this, the individual and motivation get lost. A journey like this, lasting months or years, helps us refocus on what is most important to us in life.

Aucklevél: You spent six months living in Australia. How would you characterize that experience, and what insights did you gain?

Gergő Vizeli: We wanted to escape from the stressful everyday life and the politically tense society in our country. Eleven years ago, I studied in Australia for a year and have been longing to go back ever since. We also wanted to travel together, where it would be just the two of us, living in a car, surrounded by nothing but wilderness and untamed nature. At the same time, we longed for the relaxed lifestyle of Australia and New Zealand, which we would like to bring home with us and make part of our lives. During our trip - after learning about an amazing human story - another goal was born: to meet as many Hungarians as possible and learn about their unique stories of how and why they ended up on the other side of the world. We met people who fled the now-forgotten reality of communism around 1956. For example, we met a Hungarian opal miner living in the desert in Coober Pedy, as well as people who were born in Australia but speak Hungarian every day at home.

Aucklevél: You arrived in New Zealand six months ago on a Working Holiday visa. What are the main differences you've noticed between the two countries?

Gergő Vizeli: We moved to the South Island a few weeks ago, but before that we spent six months in Auckland, which is not much different from other noisy and overcrowded big cities in the world. However, the rest of New Zealand is an isolated natural wonder at the end of the world. There is not much difference in the lifestyle of the two countries, but there is economically. Australia is much bigger economically, with far more opportunities. We feel New Zealand is safer - and we don't think this is just because of the lack of dangerous animals. What both countries have in common is that everyday life is simple; there is no drama - and we love that.

Aucklevél: As co-leaders of the Biomimicry Education and Innovation Association (Biomimicry Hungary), could you tell us about the organization - its work, mission, and key objectives?

Boróka Szőcs: We operate as a civil society organization. We study and apply the workings of nature and the solutions found in biology. We take part in creating programs, events, and human creations where science, art, and visuality meet - thus facilitating science communication. We participate in various collaborations (e.g., TEDx, Researchers' Night), educational projects (e.g., Sustainability Theme Week, nature camps, European Waste Reduction Project), and scientific dissemination (e.g., Paks Environmental Conference). We also provide professional consulting and organize training courses and workshops. In addition, we have collaborated in the fields of design and fashion with the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA Academy) and the CO&CO Designcommunication team.

“We want to provide solutions to the challenges and problems facing humanity with a new approach and practice. Our goal is to find and apply tools and methods that promote sustainability, while protecting nature and preserving wildlife. To present the latest scientific research using artistic methods and translate it for everyday people – thereby connecting science, society, economy and culture.”

More: https://biomimicryhungary.com/kik-vagyunk/

Aucklevél: For those who haven't heard of it before, what exactly is biomimicry?

Gergő Vizeli: Humanity has been learning from nature and using its solutions since the beginning. Most people think that nature is just a resource that exists for us to exploit its raw materials. We all learn about nature in school, but the methodology of biomimicry is about more than that: we study the functioning of nature and put its innovations into practice. Never before has science been so advanced, and with modern technology we can implement even the most complex solutions learned from nature. So: nature is an innovation toolbox from which we can find solutions to countless global problems.

Aucklevél: How does biomimicry appear during your travels? What examples did you notice in Australia and New Zealand?

Gergő Vizeli: Before traveling, we usually map out what research, innovations, and startups are operating in the field of biomimicry in the destination country, so that we can even see them in person. Australia and New Zealand are particularly rich in endemic wildlife and unique ecosystems, which have inspired innovations in engineering, materials science, and environmental design. In Australia, for example, the passive cooling system of termite mounds has inspired the design of several green buildings, and there are the heat-reflecting, self-cleaning structures of eucalyptus leaves, from which modern thermal protective coatings are created today. The extreme strength of spider silk has launched the development of new, lightweight, and flexible materials. In New Zealand, we see similarly exciting examples: building coverings are being made that react to their environment in a similar way to plants, and a local startup, for example, is using the olfactory receptors of insects to develop an "electronic nose." In addition, completely new, degradable biopolymers are being made from the special keratin of wool. These projects are good examples of how biomimicry is not just a theoretical concept in Australia and New Zealand, but an active area of research and practice.

Aucklevél: During the October session at the Auckland Hungarian School, you held a captivating workshop for the children. What responses did you encounter from the students? What message did you most want to leave them with?

Boróka Szőcs: We were very happy that our association could implement the event in cooperation with other organizations. Fanni Csényi coordinated the program on behalf of AUskola, and Lilian Gondi-Kalmár and her family provided excellent insect specimens and a microscope. Renáta Papp, a horticultural engineer representing the New Zealand company Bioforce, also enriched the program, so the children could observe live insects with specialized tools. Overall, we created a very meaningful collaborative program. The children were extremely curious and creative. We brought a lot of waste materials that had to be reconsidered (e.g., recycling, extending the life cycle of products), and they came up with a surprising number of innovative ideas. There was also a funny moment when they managed to start up a non-working vacuum cleaner that was considered waste. They also examined the microplastic Petri dishes with unselfconscious curiosity. We wanted to spark scientific questions in them - and I think we succeeded.

Aucklevél: Why is education and knowledge-sharing across different age groups so important to your work?

Boróka Szőcs: Science is developing; we know more and more about the world and how it works. Great scientific results and answers are being produced - and I am not just thinking about the natural sciences. New knowledge often reaches only certain groups partially, at best. Education is the solution to bridging these gaps. We live in systems, we create rules, we make laws, and society has to make continuous decisions about its own functioning. People make these decisions based on their existing knowledge. That is why it is important to make knowledge available to everyone and deepen it - regardless of age. We see education as an opportunity to have a positive impact on the world. A society is harmonious when its members can make rational decisions based on knowledge - and for that, we need to understand how the complex interrelationships of the economy, science, and everyday life work.

Aucklevél: You also have an Instagram page, World Venturer (@w.venturer), featuring beautiful photography. What led you to create this platform, and what do you hope to achieve with it?

Gergő Vizeli: Another passion we share is photography. We bought our first camera together a few days before our departure. We are both visual people, and we like to share the events of our trip with our friends through photos.

Aucklevél: What are your plans moving forward? Where will your journey take you next in New Zealand and beyond? Do you envision starting a larger project or venture based on what you've learned along the way?

Boróka Szőcs: After New Zealand, we would like to explore the archipelago of Oceania and Southeast Asia more, and then return home to Hungary and Transylvania. We've talked a lot about whether to stay in New Zealand or Australia. We feel at home here in many ways: the slower pace, barefoot shopping on the oceanfront, the sight of surfboards attached to bicycles and kayaks mounted on cars, the closeness to nature, camping with extended family. It's all a way of life that we love and desire. Yet we feel that in Europe we could build a more realistic, long-term sustainable life. For us, the question of moving abroad is not just about "getting away from here." It's much more complex than that. We all have different stories, opportunities, and reasons - and we think that these should be thought through very carefully before changing homes. Personally, I am honestly in a constant state of internal turmoil when it comes to the future. Sometimes I feel like I should create something big, something that has weight. Other times I just long for a quiet, secluded life, where there is no pressure to conform and no rush. Perhaps this is precisely the purpose of our journey: to find something that is truly worth getting up early in the morning and running for the tram for.

Viola Vadász