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Natural Infrastructure Fellows in the field: Hattie Greydanus on beaver restoration and finding her way to natural infrastructure engineering
This past summer, Natural Infrastructure Fellow Hattie Greydanus stepped out of the classroom and into the field to gain hands-on experience implementing nature-based solutions. As part of her internship requirement for the Natural Infrastructure Fellowship, a funded Master’s degree program courtesy of Ducks Unlimited and the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, Greydanus traveled to Washington…
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Marshall Shepherd provides insights on climate change at OVERHEATED 2024 in Atlanta
Getting the general public to engage with sustainability, climate science and environmental justice can be a tough challenge- but this recent conference is working hard to build engagement. The OVERHEATED conference took place this past November at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The event, presented by nonprofit organization Support+Feed and Grammy-winning artist Billie Eilish,…
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Clinic combines law and science to protect land
Originally published here by the Odum School of Ecology. Written by Patrick Barry. When the idea of a clinic bringing ecology and law students together to serve as support for land conservation efforts was introduced, there wasn’t anything like it. Science and policy are inextricably linked, but there aren’t many other programs like UGA’s Land Conservation…
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New Resilient Futures Podcast: Building Biodiverse Gardens
How big does an urban garden need to be to support pollinators and other important insects? What kinds of plants lead to the most biodiverse space? How should homeowners manage their gardens to support the natural world? Get the full garden scoop with PhD researcher Joeri Morpurgo, from University Leiden in the Netherlands! Morpurgo and…
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IRIS Wrapped: 24 Publications from 2024
2024 has been another busy year for the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems! Because we’re so proud of their amazing work, we’ve collected 24 papers from IRIS affiliates to celebrate 2024 that show the impressive work happening here at UGA and beyond. The Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems was chartered by the University of Georgia…
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Making Room for the River: Matt Chambers featured on Resources Radio
Levees are built to protect communities from floods. But when they fail, it can costs lives, homes and livelihoods. That’s where natural infrastructure comes in: by setting levees away from rivers and making room for natural floodplains in unpopulated areas, levees near communities are less likely to fail. Levee setback expert Matt Chambers, who is…
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Dr. Félix Santiago-Collazo and students participate in UNESCO conference on water security
In a virtual conference held on Thursday, November 21, Dr. Félix Santiago-Collazo and students from the Compound Inundation Team for Resilient Applications (CITRA) discussed compound hazards to water security and their cascading effects. The conference, titled Navigating the Complexities of Compound, Multihazard, and Cascading Events Impacts on Water Security, was held by the United Nations…
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IRIS named as a key University of Georgia sustainability initiative
We’re proud to announce that the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems was recently named in the University of Georgia’s 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report. The report summarized the many sustainability-oriented initiatives at the University of Georgia. “The University of Georgia is committed to tackling the world’s grand challenges, from combatting poverty, hunger, and infectious disease…
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Environmental law professor Adam Orford reflects on COP29
University of Georgia School of Law professor Adam Orford attended the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) this year as part of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) in-person delegation, and he spent the event bringing an inside view of the world’s biggest climate-focused event to the public. The annual meeting of the United Nations Framework…
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School at the beach: IRIS graduate students flex their problem solving skills during Natural Infrastructure Field Course
IRIS graduate students flex their problem solving skills during Natural Infrastructure Field Course This past week, twelve Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) graduate students ditched the classroom for the beach – where they attended a natural infrastructure field course on Skidaway Island and Isle of Hope to flex their problem solving skills in the…
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New Resilient Futures Podcast! Greening the Cul-de-sac: Encouraging Nature-Positive Residential Development
Big, leafy shade trees, burbling creeks, and access to recreation in beautiful natural areas: most people intuitively know that these kinds of natural amenities create pleasant communities, and houses located close to these kinds of resources tend to sell for more than those without. What folks often aren’t thinking about is the fact that these…
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Director Brian Bledsoe featured by Pew Trusts: How the University of Georgia Champions Nature’s Ability to Reduce Climate Impacts
Originally published here by the Pew Charitable Trusts. When most people hear “infrastructure,” they picture roads, buildings, and other human-made structures. But experts at the University of Georgia’s Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) also use the term to describe natural features that offer direct and indirect benefits to communities and ecosystems, from forests to…
