Research Reports

The ability of the public to collect and report reliable data on local conditions has great potential for strengthening environmental protection and supporting the work of environmental agencies. Citizen science can be used to fill information gaps, define research agendas, monitor environmental changes, and define the concerns of environmental justice communities. Increasingly, environmental agencies at the state, tribal, and local level are developing new citizen science approaches.

This paper outlines key issue areas and makes strategic recommendations to the U.S. EPA and their partners on how to facilitate the uptake of citizen science and sustain its use across state, tribal and local environmental agencies and their programs.

Inuit are at the forefront of the drastic changes taking place in the Arctic. As the world community increasingly turns its focus to the Arctic, it is important to ensure that Inuit Food Sovereignty is a priority in every context. Western management systems overlaid on top of traditional Inuit practices often take a different approach, sometimes grounded in historical discrimination.

The goal of this project was to equip advocates for nature-based solutions with information to play an active role in the hazard mitigation planning process by 1) identifying best practices in inclusion of nature-based strategies in local hazard mitigation plans in the Gulf Coast region, and 2) providing a schedule indicating which entities prepare these plans and a timeline for their next update. 

Healthy wetlands benefit our environment and economy in a number of ways, from providing habitat to wildlife and fisheries, to improving water quality, to offering opportunities for recreation.