EWN - Engineering With Nature

Advancing the Practice Through Publications

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Advancing the practice of engineering with nature is a primary goal for the Engineering With Nature Program, and technology transfer through publicati...

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

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 simpl...

“Almost Olympian” Becomes Champion and Catalyst for Nature-Based Solutions

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Olympic...

Bending the Bird Curve—A Conversation with Elizabeth Gray

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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, Natio...

Protecting the Legacy of the Great Lakes – A Collaborative Approach to Coastal Resiliency

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Creative Applications of NBS to Protect and Preserve National Parks

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Season 8, Episode 3, host Sarah Thorne and Amanda Tritinger, Deputy National Lead of the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program, US Army Corps of En...

Channeling our Superpowers for Planetary Health – Continuing our Conversation with Dr. Chris Lemon

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Season 8, Episode 2, host Sarah Thorne and Jeff King, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program, USACE, welcome back Dr. Christoph...

Exploring Dr. Chris Lemon’s Nonlinear Exploration of the Nexus of Climate Change and Health

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After another summer of sweltering heat, extreme flooding, and in several places, unprecedented forest fires, we're thinking even more about climate c...

Season 8 Trailer – Channeling The Energy

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As summer wanes and we celebrate back-to-school time with students, parents, and our friends in academia, we’re pleased to launch Season 8 of the En...

NBS Policies and Strong Collaboration are Closing the Gaps on Climate Resilience in Arctic Regions

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Arctic is changing more rapidly than anywhere else on earth due to climate change, and this is profoundly impacting the people that live in and de...

Innovative Nature-Based Solutions in Cold Regions

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From Iowa to Australia to Finland, and most recently Norway, Laura Wendling has followed her passion to integrate nature with engineering and technolo...

Conversations on Climate Change with Katharine Hayhoe Part 3: Inspiring Action – Katharine’s Call to Listeners

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Season 7, Episode 11, host Sarah Thorne and cohost Jeff King, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program, US Army Corps of Engineer...

Conversations on Climate Change with Katharine Hayhoe. Part 2: Taking Action and the Role of NBS in Climate Solutions

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Season 7, Episode 10, host Sarah Thorne and cohost Jeff King, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program, US Army Corps of Engineer...

Conversations on Climate Change with Katharine Hayhoe. Part 1: The Injustice of Climate Change

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Katharine Hayhoe is a world-renowned scientist, climate communicator, and passionate advocate for climate equity. She’s a climate ambassador whose m...

Seeing the Forest for the Trees—The Value and Complexity of Forest Ecosystems

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do we think about forests and their value? We know that forests store carbon, and with the climate changing, many might think the answer is to jus...

Using State-of-the-Art Tools to Cocreate a Future for the LA River

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine restoring a 51-mile-long concrete river—running through the heart of the Los Angeles Basin in California—into a vibrant corridor reconnect...

3D Printing Nature-Inspired Infrastructure (NII) – The Future is Upon Us!

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine the possibilities if brilliant scientists and engineers could figure out how to use natural materials like silt and clay, dredged from waterwa...

EWN Atlas 3 Launch Coming Soon – 58 Inspiring NBS Projects

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation and collaboration are cornerstones of Engineering With Nature (EWN). Sharing projects, demonstrating outcomes, and inspiring practitioners ...

Catching Up with Todd Bridges – Failing at Retirement but Advancing NBS

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s old home week and time to get the original EWN Podcast gang back together. In Season 7, Episode 4, host Sarah Thorne is joined by cohost Jeff K...

A Personal Journey to Make NBS “Just Part of the Fabric” in the San Francisco District

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest is a scientist and innovator who brings new thinking and new applications of nature-based solutions (NBS) into her work every day. In Season...

Advancing NBS through Building Relationships in the Pacific Region

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are of growing interest in many parts of the world as scientists, engineers, policymakers, and others look for new ways t...

Regenerative Land Management—Nature Already Has It Dialed In

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a new season of the EWN Podcast! Our guest has a bold vision for natural, holistic land management. He's not just thinking about how water ...

Continuing the EWN Journey

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a new year and we’re kicking off a new season of the Engineering With Nature® Podcast! Season 7 launches on January 24. Host Sarah Thorne re...

A Conversation with Florence Williams about The Nature Fix

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can nature make us happier, healthier and more creative? The simple answer is yes … and it’s been scientifically proven. In Season 6, Episode 10, ...

Advancing the Practice with New Guidelines for Thin Layer Placement

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The USACE dredges more than 200 million cubic yards of sediments every year as part of their mission to ensure that ports and waterways remain open to...

A Transformative Year for Designers Kotch and Derek

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when a world-renowned landscape architect from Thailand comes to the United States as Designer-in-Residence to work with an award-winning...

A Conversation with Passionate Dune Stewards

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you've ever walked along a beach, you’ve likely noticed the dunes, the mounds of sand that have been formed by the wind. But have you ever though...

Preserving an Important Historical Island with Nature-Based Solutions

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode starts with a story. In 1604, 79 members of an expedition from France, including Samuel de Champlain, came to Saint Croix Island off the ...

Reflections on the Summer of 2023 and What’s Ahead for the EWN Program

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As fall gets into full swing, we’re kicking off the second half of Season 6 of the EWN Podcast by talking with members of the EWN leadership team ab...

2023—The Worst Wildfire Season in Canada—What Can We Learn About Prevention?

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In late June, while preparing for this episode, there were over 500 wildfires burning across Canada. Smoke from the wildfires was affecting millions o...

Inspiring Action on Oceans' Role in Climate Change

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“The Ocean holds the keys to an equitable and sustainable planet. Join the revolution to unlock innovative ocean science solutions.” That is the o...

Nature-based Coastal Resilience in Urban Settings

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The City of Boston is experiencing climate change and taking action to build urban resiliency through their Climate Ready Boston initiative. In Season...

Jeff's Vision for Expanding the EWN Lattice

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The theme for Season 6 of the EWN Podcast is “Expanding the EWN Lattice.” Host Sarah Thorne is joined by Jeff King, National Lead of the Engineeri...

Season 6 – The Engineering With Nature Podcast: Expanding the EWN Lattice

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for an exciting new season of the Engineering With Nature Podcast! Season 6 of the Engineering With Nature® Podcast launches on June 14. Ho...

Building Coastal Resilience with Nature and Insurance

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is increasing coastal hazards and putting people who live and work in coastal communities at risk. Host Sarah Thorne and Jeff King, Nat...

Foundational Research on Rebalancing with Blue Carbon

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Coastal ecosystems provide an essential part of the solution to global climate change, along with along with providing other benefits such as wildlife...

Visionary Ideas for Restoring America's Estuaries

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over 40% of Americans—that’s 130 million people—live along the coasts of the United States. That high concentration of people is putting a lot o...

Celebrating the 30-Year USACE Career of Todd Bridges

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This very special episode of the EWN Podcast features Todd Bridges, Founder and National Lead of the Engineering With Nature Program. We’re celebrat...

A Conversation about EWN, Innovation, and Leadership with LTG Spellmon

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon joins Todd Bridges, Senior Research Scientist for Environmental Science and National Lead for the E...

Accelerating NBS Progress through N-EWN Multisectoral Collaboration

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 The Network for Engineering With Nature (N-EWN), introduced in Season 1, Episode 10, is a community of researchers, practitioners, and educators wh...

Measuring What Matters

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do we measure what’s most important to us? And how do we translate those values into decisions about infrastructure projects so that they can de...

What do You Want to Know about Nature? The National Nature Assessment

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 We often hear of the plight of the polar bear or how monarch butterflies are dwindling. These changes are important, but just a small part of what’...

Nature-Based Solutions from the Halls of the Exec Office of the President

13 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 What happens when a nation focuses on addressing the critical challenges posed by climate change by investing in nature? That’s what we’re talki...

ERDC Labs Collaborating on Leading Edge 3D Printing Nature-Based Solutions

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine scientists and engineers using 3D printing technology to create nature-inspired structures and to produce more effective, economic, and aesthe...

Realizing the Value of Nature

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Season 5 of the Engineering With Nature® Podcast launches on November 30. Host Sarah Thorne recently talked about highlights from Season 4 and what’...

Nature-Based Solutions to Landscape-Architecture Challenges

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when a world-renowned landscape architect from Thailand comes to the United States as Designer-in-Residence to work with an award-winning...

How England's Environment Agency is Boldly "Mainstreaming" NBS Innovation

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 At least one in six people in England are at risk from flooding from rivers and the sea. Climate change means that sea levels will continue to rise,...

Thoughtful Advice for STEAM/STEM Students

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As students head back to class, Episode 8 of the EWN Podcast focuses on foundation of EWN—the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts ...

Rivers as Resources to be Valued

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the summer feature podcast miniseries—EWN On The Road. As we teased in Episode 5, in this special series, Todd Bridges, Senior Research ...

The Heartland Tour: Five Rivers in One Day

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the summer feature podcast miniseries—EWN On The Road. As we teased in Episode 5, in this special series, Todd Bridges, Senior Research ...

The San Joaquin Valley: Past, Present, and Future, from the Air

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the summer feature podcast miniseries—EWN On The Road. As we teased in Episode 5, in this special series, Todd Bridges, Senior Research ...

EWN On The Road: The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge: A Natural Landscape Revived

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the summer feature podcast miniseries—EWN On The Road. As we teased in Episode 5, in this special series, Todd Bridges, Senior Research S...

A Conversation about Leadership and EWN with Brigadier General Kelly, Commander of the USACE South Atlantic Division

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Leadership and vision are essential to implementing Engineering With Nature to create landscape-scale climate resilience. We’re focusing on leadersh...

A Conversation about Leadership and EWN with Colonel Gant, Commander of the USACE South Pacific Division.

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Leadership and vision are essential to implementing Engineering With Nature to create landscape-scale climate resilience. We’re focusing on leadersh...

Coming Soon: Two Inspirational Conversations about Leadership and EWN

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re really excited about our upcoming episodes 6 and 7.  Tune in July 20th as we discuss leadership and Engineering With Nature with two inspirat...

Introducing the EWN On The Road Feature Podcast

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Episode 5! Today we’re kicking off the summer season with a road trip! Host Sarah Thorne is joined by Todd Bridges, Senior Research Scien...

Leveraging Federal Partnering to Infuse Nature into Urban Community Resilience

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Episode 4! We’re discussing the role of EWN and nature-based solutions (NBS) in addressing urban challenges to build community and region...

EWN Practice Leads Sharing Expertise through the EWN Cadre

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/high-energy-roundtable-with-the-ewn-practice-leads/id1528233207?i=1000562006094 we had a high energy roundtab...

High Energy Roundtable with the EWN Practice Leads

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Episode 2 of Season 4! EWN Practice Leads play a critical role in broadening and expanding the application of Engineering With Nature pract...

Scaling Up, Up, Up, with CSTORM and EWN

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first episode of Season 4! Our theme is Up, Up, Up, with Nature-Based Solutions and we have a fabulous line-up of guests who are going ...

Up, Up, Up with Nature-Based Solutions

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re getting ready to launch Season 4 of the Engineering With Nature® Podcast in May. Host Sarah Thorne recently talked with Todd Bridges, Senior ...

USACE, NOAA and the Value of Partnership

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nature-based solutions – or NBS – are front and center in major policy changes in the US  (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2...

The Dreamt Land: Rebalancing the System

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Sarah Thorne and Todd Bridges, Senior Research Scientist for Environmental Science with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and th...

The Dreamt Land: California Water, Sustainability, and EWN

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bounded by two mountain ranges, the 450 mile long Central Valley dominates the middle of California and covers about 11% of the State. The Central Val...

Plants as Eco-Engineers and Drivers of Community Resilience

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine if we could use plants to help solve complex engineering problems, while enhancing natural ecosystems. And what if we could use plants – and...

Parks and Refuges Embrace the Future Through Adaptive Management, Planning and Partnerships

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

https://ewn.erdc.dren.mil/?p=6272, Applying EWN Strategies at National Parks and Refuges, we featured a robust discussion about the significant impact...

Applying EWN strategies at National Parks and Refuges

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change and the imperative to take action now is top of mind following the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. The effe...

Engineering With Nature for Safe and Livable Cities

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How can Engineering With Nature approaches make urban landscapes more livable? In this episode, host Sarah Thorne and Todd Bridges, the Army’s Senio...

The Next Generation Makes the Future of EWN Even Brighter

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode exemplifies our theme for Season 3 –Creating the Future with EWN. Host Sarah Thorne and Jeff King, Deputy Lead of the Engineering With ...

Considering and Evaluating the Benefits of Natural Infrastructure

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 1 we discussed the unprecedented opportunity presented by President Biden's January 2021 Executive Order, Tackling the Climate Crisis at H...

Special Engineering With Nature Podcast: Follow-up to the Natural and Nature-Based Features Guidelines Launch

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over 700 people attended the live launch of the International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management on September 1...

Evolution of Nature Infrastructure Policy

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden's January 2021 Executive Order, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, emphasizes the urgency of taking action to build clim...

Season 3 Trailer: Creating the Future with EWN

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Season 3 of the Engineering With Nature® Podcast launches October 6. It’s been a big year for Engineering With Nature! Host, Sarah Thorne, recently...

Special Engineering With Nature Podcast: Natural and Nature-Based Features Guidelines Launch

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After years of development and collaboration with 150+ contributors and authors, from 70+ organizations, from 10+ countries, the International Guideli...

Part 2: Nature-Based Solutions for Infrastructure, the Global Sand Crisis, and Wealth Distribution

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of Episode 8, our discussion continues with Todd Bridges, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature program at the U.S. Army Corps of Eng...

Part 1: EWN in the Pacific Region

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is affecting the ecosystems that support life and everything we depend on. The United Nations declared 2021 to 2030 the ‘Decade of Ec...

Part 2: Integrating EWN into Critical Watershed Projects in California

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of Episode 7, we continue our discussion with Todd Bridges, Senior Research Scientist for Environmental Science with the U.S. Army Corps of ...

Part 1: EWN Collaboration with the California Department of Water Resources

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From flood risk to extreme drought and wildfire, California is feeling the brunt of climate change impacts and is, by necessity, at the forefront of c...

Exploring How EWN Can Add Value to Climate Change Initiatives

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2020, the United States experienced extreme droughts, wildfires, flooding, and a record number of hurricanes. What if there was a better way to mon...

How DARPA is Pursuing Nature-Based Solutions around the World

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Seventeen hundred U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) bases around the world are subject to sea level rise, which has increased by seven to eight inches ...

Part 2: EWN's Synergies with the World Bank's Approach to Natural Infrastructure

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The World Bank estimates that climate change will push an additional 100 million people globally into poverty in the coming years.  In Part 1, we ta...

Part 1: EWN's Synergies with the World Bank's Approach to Natural Infrastructure

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2020, natural hazards like storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires caused more than $200 billion in damage worldwide and the death of 8,000 people....

Building Resilience in Cold Regions with EWN and Natural and Nature-Based Features

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is having a significant effect on Arctic communities. The loss of permafrost and ice sheets, sea level rise, erosion, and many other fa...

EWN EXTRA! What's Coming Up in EWN?

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In our next episode, we’ll be talking with Enda Murphy of the National Research Council of Canada and Sam Whitin of EA Engineering, Science and Tech...

Expanding the Practice of EWN through Landscape Architecture

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you bring engineers together with landscape architects and their students to work on real coastal resilience challenges in the field...

Expanding Engineering With Nature

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the world emerges from the COVID 19 pandemic, infrastructure will play a key role in helping economies around the world recover. The World Economic...

The Engineering With Nature Podcast Season 2 launches March 17

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Engineering With Nature® Podcast Season 2 launches March 17, and we’re pretty excited about the lineup. Host, Sarah Thorne, recently talked wit...

Collaborating with Academia to Develop Future Practice and Practitioners

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Engineering With Nature® Podcast, our guests are Dr. Brian Bledsoe, Director of the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Sys...

Collaborating with Industry to Promote Natural Infrastructure

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The growing global population is putting a lot of pressure on the world's natural resources and its natural infrastructure – the forest, prairies, a...

Protecting Fragile Coasts and Improving Community Resilience

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Monica Chasten grew up in Vineland, NJ, close to the South New Jersey beaches where her parents and grandparents fostered her love for the coast. With...

Incorporating EWN into Coastal Texas Resilience and Restoration

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Edmond Russo, a 27-year veteran of the US Army Corps of Engineers, has a passion for innovation, especially identifying and pursuing new ways to i...

Assessing the Value of Natural and Nature-Based Features in Coastal Storm and Flood Risk Reduction

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An ecologist by training, Dr. Michael W. Beck had been working on more traditional ecological solutions related to marine protected areas until Hurric...

Collaborating to Create Wildlife Habitat While Restoring Islands and Improving Community Resilience

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up on an Island in the Puget Sound in Washington State, Paula Whitfield lived and played by the ocean, watching every episode of the Undersea ...

Characterizing Storm and Flood Risk Reduction Benefits Derived from Mangroves During Extreme Weather Events

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As an undergraduate student at the University of Florida, Tori Tomiczek’s interests in geotechnical engineering and fluid mechanics, plus her curios...

Using Natural Infrastructure to Increase Resilience for Military Installations

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In October 2018, Tyndall Air Force Base just east of Panama City, Florida was directly hit by Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm. The damage was si...

Using Natural Forces and Sediment to Restore Coastal Marsh Habitat

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we’re talking with Jeff Corbino, Environmental Resources Specialist with the US Army Corps of Engineers, in the New Orleans Distric...

Celebrating the 10-Year Anniversary of Engineering With Nature

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the 10th anniversary of the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE), Engineering With Nature (EWN) initiative, we’re taking a look at its foundatio...

Engineering With Nature - EWN

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last 10 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working on an initiative called Engineering With Nature that uses natural processes ...