Monica Arienzo in a river looking at a water sample with a overlay of a Green Box kit to educators.

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

By | 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.

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On top of a cliff overlooking the ocean at Point Reyes with a walking path and wildflowers.

Groundwater is Key to Protecting Global Ecosystems

By | Jul 17, 2024 | Research findings

New research identifies ecosystems around the world that could be threatened by declining groundwater levels. The research, published July 17 in Nature, is the first time that groundwater-dependent ecosystems have been mapped on a global scale. Led by scientists from The Nature Conservancy and DRI, the global effort brought researchers together from universities, non-profit organizations, and institutions from seven countries.

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Landscape of Newfoundland with red rocks in a valley between Mountains similar to the surface of Mars.

Mars Likely Had Cold and Icy Past, New Study Finds

By | Jul 10, 2024 | Research findings

A new study finds evidence to support that Mars had a cold and icy past by identifying similarities between soils found on Mars and those of Canada’s Newfoundland, a cold subarctic climate. The study, published July 7th in Communications Earth and Environment, looked for soils on Earth with comparable materials to Mars’ Gale Crater.

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Researcher kneeling down at the edge of a river collecting water samples.

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

By | 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.

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Reno Sparks Heat Mapping Project logo over a picture of the city of Reno.

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project Now Recruiting Volunteers

By | 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.

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Cows grazing in a green meadow with mountains in the distance.

Western Agricultural Communities Need Water Conservation Strategies to Adapt to Future Shortages

By | Jun 12, 2024 | News releases, Research findings

Relying on water storage won’t be enough to make up for declines in future water availability under a changing climate, new study shows. Beatrice Gordon, lead author of the study and sociohydrologist and postdoctoral researcher at DRI, says the research is needed to inform water management at the local level, where most decisions are made.

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