Announcements Archives

Native Climate Reporter Team Presents, Listens, and Learns at Indigenous Climate Conference in Alaska

Nov 1, 2024 | Announcements, Featured projects

Along Alaska’s western coastline, 400 miles from the nearest road system, villagers from the Indigenous community of Newtok were scheduled for permanent evacuation in mid-October due to the irreversible threat of rising seas. The story, recounted by Newtok resident Della Carl in September at the National Indigenous Climate Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, embedded itself deep in the hearts and minds of each member of the audience, making it clear not just that sea level rise is happening, but why it matters. Such is the power of a well-told story.

DRI Recruiting Fallon Community Members for Free Well Water Quality Testing

Oct 30, 2024 | Announcements

DRI scientists are recruiting fifteen Fallon residents with private wells to participate in a water quality study. All fifteen study participants will receive free water quality results, and a subset of the well owners will receive water filtration systems. The research will be used to identify the spatial extent and potential sources of contaminants such as pesticides, microplastics, and flame retardants and quantify the efficacy of treatment systems to reduce concentrations in drinking water.

DRI’s STEM Education Program Receives DOE Grant to Support Nevada’s Clean Energy Workforce Pipeline

Sep 24, 2024 | Announcements

DRI’s STEM Education Program has received a grant from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management to support Nevada’s clean energy workforce pipeline. The nearly $2 million in funding will be used to prepare the next generation with the knowledge and technical skills needed for employment in fields such as clean energy, waste management, and environmental remediation.

Guo Yu Awarded Funding from USGS to Expand Research Examining Compounding Risks of Wildfires and Floods

Sep 10, 2024 | Announcements

Guo Yu, assistant research professor of hydrometeorology, along with collaborator Luke McGuire from the University of Arizona, received a three-year grant from the USGS Water Resources Research Act Program. The funding will be used to expand his work examining how repeated wildfires impact flooding risk in communities.

DRI’s AWE+ Summit Tackles Wildfire Resilience and Recovery

Aug 23, 2024 | Announcements

DRI, one of our nation’s leading applied environmental research institutes, together with the DRI Foundation, this week held its inaugural AWE+ Summit -Wildfire Recovery and Resilience: Working Across Silos to Drive Solutions. The summit is a call-to-action for communities to implement measures that support resilience and human adaptability to devastating wildfire events. Nationally recognized scientific leaders discussed challenges, progress, and hope through actions that will lead to solutions.

NSHE Institute DRI Secures EPA Funding for Stem Education Program to Increase Water Workforce Pipeline in Nevada

Aug 20, 2024 | Announcements

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) is thrilled to announce DRI has secured $1 million in grant funding through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program. This funding will support DRI’s STEM Education Program, which aims to strengthen Nevada’s workforce in the drinking water and wastewater sectors.

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project seeking volunteers for August 10

Aug 2, 2024 | Announcements

In an effort to better understand urban heat islands and their impacts on our region, a group of organizations, led by the Nevada State Climate Office, is seeking volunteers to track heat on August 10 for the Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project. Volunteers will set out in pairs to drive or navigate a predetermined route, equipped with a GPS-equipped temperature and humidity sensor that can be affixed to a volunteer’s car. The original project date was postponed due to unusually cool weather.

DRI’s STEM Education Team Receives EPA Grant to Support Microplastics Education for Nevada Students and Communities

Jul 24, 2024 | Announcements

The $100,000 grant will fund the production of additional educational kits known as Greenboxes that raise awareness and understanding of the prevalence and role of microplastics in the environment. In addition to the Greenboxes, the grant will also support community partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, the Walker Basin Conservancy, Get Outdoors Nevada, Sierra Nevada Journeys, and Envirolution.

EPA Selects Nevada’s Desert Research Institute for Funding to Support Environmental Education

Jul 8, 2024 | Announcements

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection DRI to receive a competitive grant for environmental education in Nevada. This organization has been chosen for its exceptional work in promoting youth ecological stewardship and environmental education, with the grant supporting a project to mitigate microplastics in Nevada waterways.

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project Now Recruiting Volunteers

Jul 2, 2024 | Announcements

Scientists from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the University of Nevada, Reno are recruiting volunteers to conduct a one-day campaign to map extreme heat across Washoe County on July 27. community volunteers will fan out across the county to collect thousands of temperature and humidity measurements from early morning through evening, taken over 3 one-hour periods.