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:

  • Don’t miss out! Upcoming N-EWN Events & Media

    Don’t miss out! Upcoming N-EWN Events & Media

    Live Lecture: Engineering the Nature of Change TONIGHT 7 FEB, 6:30 PM CT The first lecture in this five-part series features Dr. Todd Bridges, National Lead for USACE Engineering With Nature®. Dr. Bridges will speak about Innovating for a More Resilient and Sustainable Future. The series is one of only two Presidential Dream Courses held by…

  • N-EWN Advisory Board Meeting

    N-EWN Advisory Board Meeting

    This week marked the first in-person convening of the N-EWN advisory board, which took place at LimnoTech’s Washington D.C. office on Tuesday, January 31st and Monday, February 1st, 2023. With 12 out of 13 partners represented, this meeting provided an important opportunity for partners to form connections and strategize on continued collaboration. Over the course…

  • January 2023 Knowledge Series: Application of Natural & Nature-Based Features in Channel Stabilization

    January 2023 Knowledge Series: Application of Natural & Nature-Based Features in Channel Stabilization

    David Biedenharn, Research Hydraulic Engineer, USACE Engineer Research Development Center (ERDC) Guest speaker Dr. David Biedenharn is a professional engineer with over forty years of experience in hydraulics, river engineering, sedimentation, channel restoration, and fluvial geomorphology. He is presently a Research Hydraulic Engineer with the USACE Engineer Research Development Center (ERDC). He has been a leader in advancing…

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