Get to know N-EWN
A community of researchers, practitioners, and educators working together to advance the practice of natural infrastructure.
We work across four main branches
In order to help facilitate the widespread adoption of natural infrastructure practices across the United States, we’ve identified four main areas that need additional work:
Developing methods and standards
New tools, techniques and guidance are needed to effectively plan, design, construct and operate natural infrastructure at different scales
Assessing benefits and costs
Natural infrastructure provides communities with a broad array of economic, environmental and social benefits. Improved approaches are needed to evaluate, quantify and forecast these benefits to support planning and decision making
Monitoring performance and outcomes
Technically sound, efficient and applicable methods are needed to track natural infrastructure performance over time, develop the evidence base for future designs, ensure compliance with policy and inform project operations and adaptive management
Integrating people and policy
Providing infrastructure that supports human wellbeing and equitably meets the needs of diverse communities requires integration of human values, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and policies with modern communication and collaboration practices
Combining a diversity of on-the-ground experience with interdisciplinary teams.
The N-EWN community is made up of over 30 partners from industry, academia and the non-profit sector.
What N-EWN’s been up to:
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Duke RESTORE: Nature-Inspired Builds for Restoration
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s also a useful approach to ecosystem restoration. By observing how nature recovers from disturbance, scientists can develop ways to rebuild or replenish depleted habitats. That’s the aim of Duke RESTORE, part of the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment. Led by ecologist Brian Silliman,…
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Partner Takeover: Duke University
This week’s N-EWN partner takeover features Duke University! Duke has a deep institutional commitment to interdisciplinarity, a key feature of Engineering With Nature and nature-based solutions projects. In addition to training students to work on these complex projects via the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, the Duke Marine Lab, and Duke University Pratt…
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Biohabitats: Old St. Vrain Road Restoration
Members of the Old St. Vrain Road Reach Restoration design/build team led by Left Hand Excavating have been working in the St. Vrain Watershed on multiple projects over the past decade. Biohabitats drew on our experience working on the St. Vrain and Left Hand Creek Stream Management Plan and the Left Hand Canyon Watershed Restoration…
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