Workshops
Friday, May 23
• Engineering with Nature: Use of Natural and Nature-Based Features in Estuarine System
Friday, May 23
9 a.m. – noon
Engineering with Nature: Use of Natural and Nature-Based Features in Estuarine Systems
Are you ready to deepen your understanding of natural infrastructure and its role in building resilient, sustainable systems? Join us for an immersive short course hosted by the Network for Engineering With Nature. This course brings together leading experts from across USACE, ERDC and the private sector to share cutting-edge knowledge on the design, implementation and evaluation of natural infrastructure.
Through a mix of expert presentations and a hands-on design charrette, you’ll explore real-world projects that demonstrate the triple bottom line benefits—economic, social and environmental value—at the heart of the EWN approach. Whether you’re an engineer, planner, ecologist or designer, this course is your opportunity to collaborate, problem-solve and walk away with actionable insights for your work.
Don’t miss this chance to learn from the best and shape the future of nature-based solutions. We look forward to seeing you there!
How to register: This workshop is $60 for State of the Coast attendees. You must reserve a spot in advance to attend. If you have already registered for SOC, you can reserve a spot by modifying your existing registration. To do so, scroll to the bottom of your registration confirmation email and click “View your registration.” From there, follow the prompts on Cvent’s website to modify your registration. If you have not yet registered for SOC, you can reserve a spot during the initial registration process.
Facilitators:
Dr. Amanda Tritinger, Deputy Program Manager, USACE EWN Program
Dr. Amanda Tritinger is the deputy program manager for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program. She is also a distinguished research hydraulic engineer specializing in coastal engineering, with a particular emphasis on numerical modeling. Stationed at the US Army Engineering Research and Development Center’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (ERDC’s CHL), she collaborates extensively across ERDC Labs, USACE Districts, and external partners. Driven by a steadfast commitment to advancing coastal resilience, her research aims to foster a more resilient future for America’s coastal communities.
Dr. Jacob Berkowitz, Research Soil Scientist, ERDC Environmental Laboratory
Dr. Jacob Berkowitz is the Environmental Laboratory team leader for wetlands research focusing on ecological assessment and restoration, soil biogeochemistry, and the improvement of approaches to wetland management. Additionally, Dr. Berkowitz serves as an adjunct professor at Louisiana State University and the University of South Florida. He has conducted wetland investigations in >35 states; resulting in >50 peer-reviewed journal publications, technical reports, and book chapters examining wetland processes in wide variety of landscapes ranging from coastal Alabama to the North Slope of Alaska. Current research projects include evaluation of ecological restoration trajectories, development of novel wetland assessment approaches, and the investigation of soil physical and microbial community response under a variety of Engineering With Nature scenarios.
Steven Bailey, Landscape Architect, ERDC Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory
Steven Bailey is a landscape architect with the ERDC Coastal Hydraulics Laboratory and a strategic integration coordinator for the Engineering With Nature (EWN) program. In this role, he creates communication graphics, conceptual designs, and facilitates collaboration across the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Department of Defense, academic institutions and industry partners. Additionally he plays a key role in coordinating outreach efforts and events for the Network for Engineering With Nature, working closely with their excellent team to advance EWN principles.
Photo of the West Bay Sediment Diversion courtesy of CWPPRA.
Friday, May 23
9 a.m. – noon
Planning for the people: Strategies to include the Human Dimension, Mental Health and Culture in Environmental Planning
This workshop presents adaptation tools to include culture in adaptation planning as well as community-based approaches to enhance resilience, reduce trauma and foster well-being. This workshop is presented through a partnership formed by the Bayou Culture Collaborative, The Neutral Ground Collective and Restore the Mississippi River Delta. The BCC’s mission is to connect people concerned about the human dimension of land loss, transmitting culture in a time of disruption and the impacts of climate migrations.
Part 1 explores culture and tradition as resources to adapt in times of transition and disruption with examples of culture and traditions that build community cohesion. Participants consider the likelihood of migration and learn how to identify available cultural resources for individuals and communities. They then learn strategies to activate culture as a resource by using storytelling, public art, celebrations of heritage, community projects and more. These strategies are equally valuable for those staying in place and those migrating, whether newcomers or long-term residents. These tools can help people adapt during periods of tradition and disruption.
Part 2 explores mental health and disaster response. Most disaster mental health response efforts focus primarily on individual interventions. However, recent research and applications suggest that community-based approaches can significantly enhance resilience, reduce trauma and foster well-being. Because Louisiana is a disaster-prone area, the most effective approach will shift from reactively treating trauma in isolation to preventively creating supportive environments where individuals can build a sense of safety and trust in the community.
Continuing education units are available through the American Planning Association.
How to register: This workshop is free for State of the Coast attendees, but you must reserve a spot to attend. If you have already registered for SOC, you can reserve a spot by modifying your existing registration. To do so, scroll to the bottom of your registration confirmation email and click “View your registration.” From there, follow the prompts on Cvent’s website to modify your registration. If you have not yet registered for SOC, you can reserve a spot during the initial registration process.
Facilitators:
Maida Owens, Louisiana Folklife Program Director, Louisiana Division of the Arts; Co-Founder, Bayou Culture Collaborative
Maida Owens is a folklorist and a co-founder of the Bayou Culture Collaborative. Through monthly online gatherings and working groups, the BCC connects those interested in the intersection of traditional culture, the arts and science in the face of Louisiana’s land loss and environmental changes. Her focus is on the impact of migration upon our cultures in the face of disruption. She directed the Louisiana Division of the Arts Folklife Program from 1988-2025. To support Louisiana’s traditional cultures, the Folklife Program offers funds to support Passing It On workshops to help tradition bearers share their knowledge with their community.
Shana Walton, Professor Emeritus, Nicholls State University; Project Coordinator, Bayou Culture Collaborative
Shana Walton is an anthropologist, professor emerita at Nicholls State University and a co-founder of the Bayou Culture Collaborative (BCC). She is co-author of Bayou Harvest: Subsistence Practice on the Gulf Coast, a documentation of hunting, fishing and gardening practices in coastal Louisiana and winner of the 2025 James Mooney Award. She managed the Gulf Coast Cultural Research Repository project, a multiyear partnership with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to make research about Gulf Coast culture and lifeways more accessible. She is a project coordinator for the BCC and the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center.
dix Moore-Broussard, Trauma Specialist, The Neutral Ground Collective
dix Moore-Broussard is an art psychotherapist certified in trauma, disaster and traumatic stress studies who co-founded The Neutral Ground Collective, which provides education, training and therapeutic interventions that foster resilience in the face of crises. Affiliated with the Climate Psychiatry Alliance of North America, Climate Psychology Alliance of North America, Climate Mental Health Network and Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga, The Neutral Ground Collective integrates somatic-based practices, the arts and neuroscience into its model. The Neutral Ground Collective offers Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for master-level creative art therapists, social workers and other licensed mental health workers.
