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:

  • Partner Takeover: NCCOS

    Partner Takeover: NCCOS

    Next up in our Partner Takeover series, NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science! The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) was founded in 1999 to support NOAA’s scientific mission and coastal manadates, delivering high-quality science to coastal communities and its federal, state, academic, and public partners. Our scientists work with N-EWN partners to…

  • Stantec releases 18th annual sustainability report

    Stantec releases 18th annual sustainability report

    Our partners at Stantec released their 2024 Sustainability Report this Earth Day, reporting C$4.63 billion in 2024 revenue aligned with core sustainable development goals. This is the 18th annual report of its kind for the engineering firm, showing a dedication to sustainability. Key milestones include: “Stantec’s integrated approach to sustainability delivers long-term value and underpins…

  • The True Value of Nature in the Ohio River Basin

    The True Value of Nature in the Ohio River Basin

    This Earth Day, the Earth Economics team has published a study coauthored with the Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) on the economic value that the Ohio River Basin provides, with staggering results: at least $50 billion in annual benefits- and that’s not all. The Ohio River Basin is approximately 69 million acres of land across…

Catch up with us

Join our mailing list to stay abreast of all things natural infrastructure.