EWN - Engineering With Nature

• Advancing the Practice Through Publications

  Advancing the practice of engineering with nature is a primary goal for the Engineering With Nature Program, and technology transfer through publications is a critical pathway to achieving this goal. In Season 8, Episode 8, host Sarah Thorne is joined by Amanda Tritinger, Deputy Lead of the Engineering with Nature Program, and Courtney Chambers, Communications Lead for the Engineering With Nature Program. They’re discussing the importance of the Programs’ key publications, including two new ones in 2025.Publications are critical to advancing the practice and closing the gaps in knowledge. As Amanda says, “They showcase real-world applications of natural infrastructure and inspire others to adopt these strategies in their own projects. By publishing, we make it possible for natural infrastructure to be integrated into more projects and drive innovation across multiple sectors.”  This episode highlights several examples of innovative EWN Publications, including:The EWN Atlas series;Natural Infrastructure for Mission Readiness at U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Installations – Also known as “The Navy Playbook”; andThe Four Coasts Project Idea Handbook – design concepts that incorporate Engineering With Nature from four of the EWN Proving Grounds districts: San Francisco, Mobile, the Great Lakes, and Philadelphia.  Courtney explains that the Atlas series was born out of a conversation that Todd Bridges, founder of the EWN Program, had with the then USACE Director of Civil Works, James Dalton who suggested that people would understand the key principles of EWN if they could see what they look like in practice. Its success has led to these additional innovative publications.Hollie Janson Schmidt, National Director of the Planning Group for Advisory Solutions at Jacobs, was the project executive responsible for developing the Navy Playbook with EWN. She joins the conversation and explains that, “The intention of the book is to really be nontechnical and user friendly so that someone could look at some of these sketches and really understand some of the characteristics and the components that we're addressing.” She adds, “It’s just really meant to sort of excite people with the visuals and the beauty of what we were trying to bring forward.”Mindy Strevig, Managing Engineer at Anchor QEA, leads the collaboration on the development of the Four Coasts Handbook. She also joins the conversation and notes “The goal of the Four Coasts Handbook, is to get those solution concepts visualized and conveyed in a way that folks can continue those conversations through their traditional processes to get these projects funded, garner support, and move them to implementation.The EWN team continues to promote the work of the EWN Program and its partners through publications like these, as well as through ERDC Tech Notes and Tech Reports, and peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals. Amanda stresses that “these publications are invaluable to our practitioners because they provide a strong scientific foundation combined with the real-world application of natural infrastructure. By publishing this work, we ensure that knowledge is shared, lessons are learned, and innovations are being scaled up. These publications are critical to advancing the practice. They’re how we bridge that gap between research and implementation and offer actionable insights.” For more information and resource links, please visit the EWN website at https://www.engineeringwithnature.org/  Amanda Tritinger – LinkedInCourtney Chambers – LinkedInHollie Janson Schmidt – LinkedInMindy Strevig – LinkedIn 

  --------  

  50:35
• Encore Episode: A Conversation with Florence Williams about The Nature Fix

  Season 8 Episode 7 was originally released as Season 6 Episode 10 in December 2023. Can nature make us happier, healthier and more creative? The simple answer is yes, ... and it’s been scientifically proven. Host Sarah Thorne and Jeff King, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),thought this was a perfect time to replay one of our favorite episodes – our conversation with author Florence Williams from S6E10, which originally aired in December 2023. We had a great conversation with Florence about her book, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. Florence, who is a science journalist, author, speaker and podcaster spent over 3 years traveling around the world talking with leading scientists—and taking part in science experiments—focused on quantifying the benefits of nature to people’s health and well-being.What did she learn? Well, the benefits of Nature are clear—spending more time outdoors is good for our physical health and our mental health. As Florence says, everything from short daily experiences in nature like taking a walk when you take a break at lunch to longer, immersive wilderness experiences like hiking, camping, and nature retreats are all beneficial—she says “we need all of it.” The bottom line is that regular “nature fixes” are literally good for mind, body and soul—and now we have the science to prove it.Sarah had the opportunity to talk with Florence recently and I asked her how writing The Nature Fix had changed her life.  She said it was “transformative”—it changed her relationship with Nature—which she says continues to be a source of strength, interest, and passion. And it has opened many doors for her leading to host of new opportunities.We hope you enjoy this encore edition of the EWN Podcast and that it inspires you to take time to get outdoors and take in the health benefits of Nature, even if it is only for a few minutes every day. Who knows, it just could be transformative! Enjoy the show! For more information and resource links, please visit the EWN Podcast page on the EWN website at https://www.engineeringwithnature.org/  Jeff King at LinkedInFlorence Williams – Naturefix at LinkedIn

  --------  

  47:24
• “Almost Olympian” Becomes Champion and Catalyst for Nature-Based Solutions

  Nature is a powerful thing. While hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in 2006, our guest let go of her dream to compete at the 2008 Olympics to pursue a career protecting the environment. In Season 8, Episode 6, host Sarah Thorne and Jeff King, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), are joined by special guest Robyn DeYoung, who now leads the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Green Infrastructure Program. Through the Green Infrastructure Federal Collaborative, Robyn is bringing federal agencies together to advance nature-based solutions (NBS), including finding ways to streamline permitting and helping communities navigate funding. The Collaborative has just released a best practice guide on Federal Permitting and Environmental Reviews for Nature-Based Solutions and short videos for funding and technical assistance.Robyn joined the USEPA in 2010 working with states and local governments on clean energy, applying all that she had learned—including the value of teamwork that she learned from field hockey. In her current role as Green Infrastructure program manager, she continues to help people work together: “How can we collaborate and use people’s unique talents—even people that might not agree with you, but have great ideas?”Green infrastructure can mean different things to different people. As Robyn describes it, “If I’m in a room full of engineers, then green infrastructure means you’re using natural systems—native plants, soils, permeable surfaces—to help with bringing us back to predevelopment hydrology. But for the rest of us, the way that I define green infrastructure is that we’re creating functional green space and other designs so that we can prevent flooding, keep our cities cool, and keep our waters clean using natural processes, using things like rain gardens or street trees.”Robyn notes that one of the primary functions of EPA’s Green Infrastructure Program is outreach, providing resources to help people understand the economic, environmental and social benefits of green infrastructure, including handbooks for Green Infrastructure Design, peer exchange webinars, and models and tools. “One of the focuses of our program is to make sure that we have free information so people can design, build, maintain, and monitor the green infrastructure in their cities and communities.” Looking forward, Robyn notes some of the focus and priorities she sees in the next year, starting with EPA’s 2035 Green Infrastructure Strategic Agenda that her program has been working on. She describes three priority areas: (1) Demonstrating the benefits of green infrastructure in ways that align with the economic, environmental, and social benefits that people value; (2) Connecting more communities to federal funding and technical assistance. And (3) continuing to engage with communities. “We want to do everything we can to bring nature-based solutions into those neighborhoods in a way that they want to use them, that’s culturally relevant, so that they can really take it and run with it.”Robyn’s call to action is for listeners to learn more about what the Green Infrastructure Program is doing and find out about the resources that are available to support individuals and communities interested in green infrastructure. For more information and resource links, please visit the EWN Podcast page on the EWN website at https://www.engineeringwithnature.org/  Jeff King at LinkedInRobyn DeYoung at LinkedIn

  --------  

  44:29
• Bending the Bird Curve—A Conversation with Elizabeth Gray

  Since 1970, the bird population in North America has declined by about 3 billion birds. In Season 8, Episode 5, host Sarah Thorne and Jeff King, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), are joined by special guest, Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO of the National Audubon Society. Elizabeth is an ornithologist and a world-renowned champion of science-based conservation and leads an organization dedicated to protecting birds by altering the course of biodiversity loss. Elizabeth is the first woman CEO of Audubon since its founding in 1905. In her lifetime, Elizabeth has seen significant changes in bird populations. “This is just really tragic, and we know two-thirds of those birds are threatened by climate change. When I go out in the field, I see increasing habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. Climate change is a magnifier of all these effects, and birds are indicators of planetary health—really the sentinels and the symbols of how the planet’s doing.”Audubon’s 5-year strategic plan, called “Flight Plan,” is designed to “bend the bird curve”—to halt, and ultimately reverse, this decline of birds across the Americas by using science; building strong partnerships; and finding solutions that are positive for birds, for people, and for the planet. “We believe that what birds need—clean water, clean air, a healthy food system, a healthy climate—is also what people need.” Elizabeth notes how these efforts continue a tradition going back to the early 1900s when Audubon began protecting one of the last Reddish Egret rookeries. These efforts grew into Audubon’s Coastal Bird Stewardship program, which now has over 500 sites in coastal areas, 1500 volunteers, and 250 partner organizations.Collaboration and partnerships are key to addressing these complex and interconnected issues and Audubon is well known for bringing together unlikely partners, industry, local communities, policy makers, decision-makers, government officials, Indigenous communities, and other conservation organizations. “We often have different priorities, but we’ve found that you can get people who have different priorities, even different values, certainly different approaches, to sit at a table if you can align around the outcome that you want to achieve together.” She adds that birds are Audubon’s “superpower.” “Birds don’t pay attention to geographic boundaries. They don’t pay attention to what divides people or countries and things like that. They’re really the ultimate unifier here. And I think to me, birds remind us of our shared humanity and the fact that we really share this planet.”Nature-based solutions (NBS) play a key role in Audubon’s efforts. As Elizabeth notes, NBS can contribute significant greenhouse gas reductions through protecting, restoring, and appropriately managing natural areas, coastal systems, mangroves, grasslands, and forests while also delivering cobenefits to nature and society. Jeff notes the strong synergy and alignment between the mission of Audubon and the objectives of EWN. “With nature-based solutions, we can create resilience while also enhancing habitat and biodiversity and accomplish many more cobenefits. I see so many things that are complementary here, and I’m just excited about what you’re doing and seeing on the horizon within Audubon.” For more information and resource links, please visit the EWN Podcast page on the EWN website at https://www.engineeringwithnature.org/  Jeff King at LinkedInElizabeth Gray at LinkedIn 

  --------  

  54:22
• Protecting the Legacy of the Great Lakes – A Collaborative Approach to Coastal Resiliency

  When we think about the use of nature-based features to increase coastal resilience, the focus is mostly on coasts along the ocean. But what about the Great Lakes? Over the past 10 years, the Great Lakes have experienced both historic high and low lake levels. These extreme fluctuations cause flooding, erosion, and property damage, often putting people living in communities at risk. In Season 8, Episode 4, host Sarah Thorne is joined by Burton Suedel, Research Biologist in the Environmental Laboratory at the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and David Bucaro, Chief of the Planning Branch, Chicago District, USACE. They are discussing the important work underway to make the Great Lakes more resilient to the effects of climate change.The Great Lakes play a critical role in the heart of North America and are being affected by climate change, including rapidly changing water levels and less ice coverage. There is a complex interaction between the lakes, land, and atmosphere that make it difficult to model the system. As David notes, this creates high levels of uncertainty in long-term projections of lake levels and challenges for making informed, resilient, and adaptable decisions about needed long-term investments.To help better prepare for these future conditions, David and his colleagues are working with other federal agencies, Tribal nations, state and local governments and academic partners, to identify the full range of Great Lakes water levels, wave heights, and ice conditions under a range of plausible climate change scenarios. This is the focus of the 6-year, $14M Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Study (GLCRS), a regional partnership to create a strategy that identifies vulnerable coastal areas and offers an array of potential actions that can be taken to bolster the built natural coastal environments.The first step was the development of a shared vision and a basin-wide assessment of vulnerabilities looking at existing populations, infrastructure, habitat, land use, and socially vulnerable populations across all of the Great Lakes coasts. This effort will help communities better understand the frequency and impacts of various climate scenarios and will provide detailed information for planners and engineers, including an assessment of “hotspot areas” more vulnerable to future conditions. The next step will be to identify specific actions for the hotspot areas, which may include a combination of monitoring and further study. The final step will be to produce the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Plan, which will include strategic recommendations and prioritize actions for USACE, other federal agencies, states, locals, and other nonfederal interests.This effort is complemented by the work that Burton and his team are doing on The Great Lakes Natural and Nature-Based Features Playbook, which is intended to develop new conceptual nature-based designs specific to the Great Lakes that will achieve greater resiliency and adaptability to climate change. The Playbook is intended to be used by planners and NBS practitioners within and outside of USACE to support the planning-level cost-benefit analyses. David and Burton hope the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Plan and the EWN Playbook will benefit other regions and advance the practice of NBS.For more information and resource links, please visit the EWN Podcast page on the EWN website at https://www.engineeringwithnature.org/  Burton Suedel at LinkedInDavid Bucaro at LinkedIn 

  --------  

  38:30

Altri podcast di

Podcast di tendenza in

Su EWN - Engineering With Nature