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:

  • Publication examines sediment placement for restoring coastal marshes

    Publication examines sediment placement for restoring coastal marshes

    A new ASBPA white paper from an interdisciplinary team, including our partners at Jacobs and NOAA, explores the potentially beneficial use of dredged sediment in coastal marsh restoration. Coastal marshes across the world, and even within the U.S., are an extremely diverse set of ecosystems with unique hydrology, geology, and climate. Restoration efforts must be…

  • Join us for the Nature Based Solutions WEDA Short Course!

    Join us for the Nature Based Solutions WEDA Short Course!

    The Western Dredging Association (WEDA) is excited to host their 2024 Dredging Summit & Expo in Tampa, Florida, an event that will include technical panels, over 110 exhibitors, and a number of short courses. One of these short courses is being organized by UGA’s Todd Bridges, as well as Jeff King from USACE’s Engineering With…

  • UGA Natural Infrastructure Graduate Fellowship students shine at Ducks Unlimited National Convention

    UGA Natural Infrastructure Graduate Fellowship students shine at Ducks Unlimited National Convention

    Originally published here by the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems. This week, Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) Natural Infrastructure Fellows Stevens Charles and Madlyn Carpenter attended the 87th Ducks Unlimited National Convention, where they each stepped onto the main stage to participate in a Q&A session during the Business Session on Saturday, as well as giving research presentations…

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