In this talk, Nina Struss and Maggie Bruns share highlights of the Quad Cities Climate and Vulnerability Assessment, the region’s first effort to identify environmental factors that threaten the vulnerable people in Rock Island (IL), Moline (IL), Davenport (IA), and Bettendorf (IA). With nature-based solutions and strong local commitment, the plan promises to bolster the Quad Cities’ resilience in the face of climate change.

Nina Struss is the River Health and Resiliency Organizer for Prairie Rivers Network, focusing especially on the Quad Cities region. She educates, engages, and activates the public and community leaders about the benefits of natural river, wetland, and floodplain functions and their impacts on the Quad Cities. She holds a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from Western Illinois University – Macomb.

Maggie Bruns, Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network, works with PRN staff and partners to advance PRN’s mission: Protect water, heal the land, and inspire the change that both science and justice require of us in this moment. Previously, she managed the executive office of the League of Conservation Voters in Washington, DC; she holds a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.