Midwest Nature-Based
Solutions Workshop

  July 7–9, 2026 |   Quad Cities, Iowa / Illinois

Register Now | Schedule at a Glance

Nature-based solutions are practices and strategies that use ecological processes to address water, land, and community challenges. In the Midwest, this can mean restoring wetlands that treat agricultural drainage, conserving and creating prairies, supporting in field and edge of field conservation on working lands, and designing green spaces that help communities manage heavy rainfall. These approaches improve water quality, reduce flood impacts, support habitat, and create more resilient landscapes and communities. 

Yet accelerating adoption and scaling these practices requires more than good ideas. It requires coordination, shared learning, practical implementation pathways, and strong partnerships across sectors. 

Join us for a two-day Midwest Nature-Based Solutions Workshop bringing together researchers, practitioners, agency partners, nonprofit leaders, community representatives, and other professionals working to advance natural infrastructure and watershed scale resilience. Together, participants will identify opportunities, discuss implementation barriers, and develop actionable ideas to help move nature-based solutions from promising practices to broader adoption.

Who should attend?

This workshop is designed for professionals working in water quality, flood resilience, watershed planning, conservation, restoration, natural infrastructure, community resilience, and related fields. 

Workshop Goals

  • Identify opportunities to expand and strengthen nature-based solutions across the Midwest 
  • Share lessons learned from research, design, implementation, funding, maintenance, and long-term stewardship
  • Discuss practical bottlenecks that limit adoption and scaling
  • Connect across disciplines, sectors, and geographies
  • Develop next steps and potential collaborations to support implementation
KEY DATES
Hotel deadline June 15
Marsh tour July 7
Workshop Day 1 July 8
Workshop Day 2 July 9


QUESTIONS?
Please contact
Christian Martinez
cmart22@iastate.edu
Iowa State University Water Resilience Collaborative

Accommodations & Venue

The Bend Event Center is a one-of-a-kind, elegant event venue perfectly suited for an event experience like no other. Conveniently located next to the brand-new Hyatt Place | Hyatt House, The Bend Event Center features floor-to-ceiling glass windows spanning views of Murphy Park and The Bend property. Day 1 of the workshop will be held here. 

Find comfort and convenience at the Hyatt Place East Moline / Quad Cities, a welcoming Quad Cities hotel offering modern accommodations along the scenic Mississippi River. Day 2 of the workshop will be held here. Use our link to reserve your hotel accommodations for July 7 and 8 under the workshop room block. Free breakfast will be provided at the hotel.

Book Your Hotel

To book rooms, please use the link below or the provided QR Code to reserve in the WRC room block. 

Image
QR code for WRC workshop hotel accommodations.

Hotel room reservations 

These will both open the Hyatt website.  Enter your check-in date, check-out date and click “Book Now”.  The code will automatically display available rooms for the contracted block between the dates of July 7, 2026 & July 9, 2026.  If you wish to book a reservation outside these dates, please contact the hotel directly. 

Your deadline for room reservations is June 15, 2026.  Rooms in the block are $110/night before midnight June 15 then increase to the standard rate starting June 16.

If you prefer to book your room over the phone, then call 309.755.6000 – press “1” to book new reservations at Hyatt Place and reference group "G-WRCC". Please note that your group block is under "Water Resilience Collaborative" and is in Hyatt Place and all reservation requests should be made for Hyatt Place. 

Getting Here

The closest airport is Quad Cities International Airport (MLI).

Hyatt Place has a free shuttle between the hotel and airport.

Schedule at a Glance

MONDAY, JULY 7
3:00–5:00 pm
Nahant Marsh Tour
4220 Wapello Ave, Davenport, Iowa
Guided visit exploring restoration, conservation, education, and community engagement in practice.
MONDAY, JULY 7 · EVENING
Informal Dinner
Optional arrival dinner gathering
Location TBD — details shared closer to event
TUESDAY, JULY 8
9:00 am–4:00 pm · Workshop Day 1
Bend Event Center
910 Bend Blvd, East Moline, IL
Topically focused presentations, facilitated group discussion, and networking across sectors.
TUESDAY, JULY 8 · EVENING
Happy Hour & Dinner
Informal social + guided dinner discussion
Location TBD
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9
8:30 am–12:00 pm · Workshop Day 2
Hyatt Place
111 Bend Blvd, East Moline, IL
Building from Day 1 toward practical solutions and next steps.

Workshop Organizing Committee

  • Water Resilience Collaborative - Sara Winnike McMillan, Catherine DeLong
  • The Nature Conservancy - Nick Ohde, Karen Wilke, Megan Baskerville
  • Ducks Unlimited - Casey Bergthold, Holly Shutt, Alex Wieten
  • Great Outdoors Foundation - Sara Carmichael, Melissa Campbell
  • American Rivers - Mike Sertle, Sara Burns

Affiliates

Logo Carousel

Partner organization logos

Iowa State University Water Resources Center
Ames Research
GOF
Ducks Unlimited
The Nature Conservancy