Richmond Disasters (Summer 2023)

Team: Kaylee Tanner (Project Lead), Brodie Thiele, Trinity Johnson, Maggie Lincoln 

Summary: Pluvial flooding is the most frequent and widespread type of flooding in urban areas. It occurs when intense precipitation events overwhelm the capacity of soils and drainage systems. The...

Unalakleet Climate (Summer 2023)

Team: Ian Lee (Project Lead), Clara Maxwell, Daniel J. Marsden, M. Jaweed Nazary 

Summary: The coastal community of Unalakleet is currently the 8th most at-risk community in Alaska to the adverse effects of climate change that include permafrost degradation, severe coastal...

Bandelier Ecological Conservation (Summer 2023)

Team: van Barrett (Project Lead), Megan Rich, Nusrat Zahan Jarin, Chloe Johnson 

Summary: The Southwest U.S. has experienced a growth of invasive riparian species, specifically Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive), Tamarix ramosissima (saltcedar), and Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm), which alter local...

Southern Wyoming Ecological Conservation II (Summer 2023)

Team: Bryan Graybill (Project Lead), Lillian Gordon, Estelle Lindrooth, Sarah Sathe 

Summary: Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is an invasive species of grass across the United States, and due to its ability to establish itself in disturbed landscapes, outcompete native...

Paria River Ecological Conservation (Summer 2023)

Team: Max VanArnam (Project Lead), Wesley Rancher, Truman Anarella, Annie Kowalski 

Summary: Invasive species within desert riparian environments significantly affect ecosystem function by overtaking native species and altering their fluvial geomorphology. The Paria River, a sediment-heavy river and...

South Slough Water Resources (Summer 2023)

Team: Maya Hall (Project Lead), Gabriel Halaweh, Sean McCollum, Zoë Siman-Tov 

Summary: The Coos estuary in Southern Oregon supports a variety of habitats, including eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows. Eelgrass meadows provide habitat to local and migratory wildlife, including commercially...

Marin County Wildland Fires II (2023 Summer)

Team: Harrison Raine (Project Lead), Katherine Scott, Nikitha Shivakumar, Tiffany Mar, Anai Tene 

Summary: A future of increased wildfires requires greater integration of spatial analysis and local knowledge of emergency responders. We examine the application of a Potential...

Arizona Water Resources II (Fall 2022)

Team: Arina Morozova (Project Lead), Jamal Jeffer, Jessica Birk, Greg Peargin

Summary: Pinyon-juniper woodlands (PJW) provide critical and resilient habitat for the local mammal and small bird species of Arizona's northern xeric environment. Drought in Arizona has been persistent...

Shoshone River Water Resources II (2023 Spring)

Team: Robyn Holmes (Project Lead), Christian Bitzas, Jillian Greene, Isabella St. John 

Summary: The Willwood Dam, an irrigation diversion dam located on the Shoshone River (Wyoming, USA), has faced ongoing issues with sediment accumulation and needs frequent sediment...

InVEST Urban Development (2023 Spring)

Team: Son Do & Jessica Besnier 

Summary: 

Urban flooding poses as one of the biggest issues for cities today as its impacts are amplified by both climate change and urbanization. The Natural Capital Project’s Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services...