2024 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS SYMPOSIUM
On December 3, 2024, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida held a day-long symposium in-person and virtually.
During the event, speakers presented case studies of successful nature-based and hybrid projects from around Florida, and participated in presentations and discussions about how to more successfully employ these strategies.
Speakers represented multiple organizations including Florida Sea Grant, Naples Botanical Garden, City of North Miami, Gainesville Regional Utilities, Wetland Solutions, Inc., Ecosphere Restoration Institute, Inc., Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership, Cummins Cederberg Coastal & Marine Engineering, the University of Florida, Environmental Defense Fund, Palm Beach County, and the US Forest Service.
What are nature-based and hybrid solutions?
Nature-based solutions refer to strategies that use natural systems (such as mangrove forests, salt marshes, and beach dunes), or living or natural elements (such as plantings, coconut fiber logs, and other sustainable materials) to address challenges such as flooding, high heat days, and worsening water quality. Hybrid solutions combine these aforementioned elements with hardened engineered options like seawalls, levees, and culverts.
Incorporating these options into local adaptation planning can support our local nature-based economy, provide significant amounts of ecological services our communities depend on, and can contribute to a multiple lines of defense approach to managing risk.
