The hub collaborates with experts, stakeholders, and decision-makers to advance nature for the benefit of people and the environment. 

Across the United States, the public and private sectors are increasingly turning to nature-based solutions—actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges. Examples of nature-based solutions include restoration and management of large scale natural and working lands like forests and coastal marshes, in additional green infrastructure like rain gardens. Yet barriers remain to scaling up their implementation, from financing to permitting to a lack of data about their effectiveness.

The Nature Activation Hub, hosted by the Nicholas Institute at Duke University, engages in actionable research and purposeful partnerships to overcome barriers and identify opportunities that advance nature’s solutions.

Hub collaborators include federal and state agencies, land trusts, conservation organizations, and various networks. The hub works across Duke’s schools with renowned experts in policy, finance, law, engineering, and ecology. Along with key faculty partners across Duke, the hub aims to seed a growing capacity in nature-based solutions at the university and is closely aligned with the Duke Climate Commitment.