Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
@woods.stanford.edu
Stanford's collaboration hub for interdisciplinary environmental research about people & planet. Focused on climate resilience, natural climate solutions, thriving ecosystems, human & planetary health and just outcomes. | woods.stanford.edu
Pinned
Greetings new Bluesky followers! Get to know us a little better by checking out recent stories, videos and event coverage from our 20th anniversary celebration. It's encouraging to see what kind of progress can be made over the long haul. stanford.io/4f11sMp
Stanford students can explore environmental careers through Woods fellowships. Meet Evan Ludington, a senior who interned with Resources for the Future through the EPIC program.
EPIC applications open in December – mark your calendar!
Meet Evan: stanford.io/43owZEW
EPIC info: stanford.io/4r1LUyY
EPIC applications open in December – mark your calendar!
Meet Evan: stanford.io/43owZEW
EPIC info: stanford.io/4r1LUyY
Student Spotlight: Evan Ludington on fortifying communities with hazard mitigation
Stanford students are getting a head start on careers with education and leadership programs offered by the Woods Institute for the Environment. We talk with Evan Ludington, a senior who who cultivate...
stanford.io
November 12, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Stanford students can explore environmental careers through Woods fellowships. Meet Evan Ludington, a senior who interned with Resources for the Future through the EPIC program.
EPIC applications open in December – mark your calendar!
Meet Evan: stanford.io/43owZEW
EPIC info: stanford.io/4r1LUyY
EPIC applications open in December – mark your calendar!
Meet Evan: stanford.io/43owZEW
EPIC info: stanford.io/4r1LUyY
Today marks the first day of #COP30, where scientists, policymakers, and advocates are gathering to chart our shared path forward on climate action.
Woods Director Chris Field joins Stanford students and delegates to contribute expertise and solutions. Follow here: bit.ly/4qSG6re
Woods Director Chris Field joins Stanford students and delegates to contribute expertise and solutions. Follow here: bit.ly/4qSG6re
Stanford at COP30
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Today marks the first day of #COP30, where scientists, policymakers, and advocates are gathering to chart our shared path forward on climate action.
Woods Director Chris Field joins Stanford students and delegates to contribute expertise and solutions. Follow here: bit.ly/4qSG6re
Woods Director Chris Field joins Stanford students and delegates to contribute expertise and solutions. Follow here: bit.ly/4qSG6re
How can low-carbon concrete floors be a health and climate solution?
Watch the full #UncommonCollaborators episode 🎥 youtu.be/rQUVt3jMN_c
Read more: stanford.io/4gaergd
#climatesolutions #research #publichealth
Watch the full #UncommonCollaborators episode 🎥 youtu.be/rQUVt3jMN_c
Read more: stanford.io/4gaergd
#climatesolutions #research #publichealth
November 3, 2025 at 11:35 PM
How can low-carbon concrete floors be a health and climate solution?
Watch the full #UncommonCollaborators episode 🎥 youtu.be/rQUVt3jMN_c
Read more: stanford.io/4gaergd
#climatesolutions #research #publichealth
Watch the full #UncommonCollaborators episode 🎥 youtu.be/rQUVt3jMN_c
Read more: stanford.io/4gaergd
#climatesolutions #research #publichealth
The barrier to effective climate communication is often personal distance — for many, it still feels like a faraway threat.
A new Stanford-led study shows that virtual reality can help close that gap.
Read more: bit.ly/4hzzsSt
A new Stanford-led study shows that virtual reality can help close that gap.
Read more: bit.ly/4hzzsSt
Virtual reality helps people understand and care about distant communities
Direct experiences have powerful effects on perception – a truth at the heart of new Stanford-led research showing how immersive VR can make distant places feel more immediate and climate-related impa...
bit.ly
October 29, 2025 at 7:04 PM
The barrier to effective climate communication is often personal distance — for many, it still feels like a faraway threat.
A new Stanford-led study shows that virtual reality can help close that gap.
Read more: bit.ly/4hzzsSt
A new Stanford-led study shows that virtual reality can help close that gap.
Read more: bit.ly/4hzzsSt
From ammonia to Alcatraz, Stanford students are pursuing fascinating research questions. They’re gaining hands-on experience, sharpening their scientific skills, and exploring solutions to real-world challenges.
Discover student program opportunities: bit.ly/48tPCaB
Discover student program opportunities: bit.ly/48tPCaB
October 22, 2025 at 8:10 PM
From ammonia to Alcatraz, Stanford students are pursuing fascinating research questions. They’re gaining hands-on experience, sharpening their scientific skills, and exploring solutions to real-world challenges.
Discover student program opportunities: bit.ly/48tPCaB
Discover student program opportunities: bit.ly/48tPCaB
This week, students, faculty, and staff came together to celebrate human and planetary health at Stanford — and to connect on new opportunities ahead. (Also pictured: tiny succulent party favors 🪴)
🌍 Stay in the loop by subscribing to the HPH newsletter: bit.ly/4nicFfy
🌍 Stay in the loop by subscribing to the HPH newsletter: bit.ly/4nicFfy
October 16, 2025 at 7:57 PM
This week, students, faculty, and staff came together to celebrate human and planetary health at Stanford — and to connect on new opportunities ahead. (Also pictured: tiny succulent party favors 🪴)
🌍 Stay in the loop by subscribing to the HPH newsletter: bit.ly/4nicFfy
🌍 Stay in the loop by subscribing to the HPH newsletter: bit.ly/4nicFfy
Yesterday, officials confirmed New York's first local case of a mosquito-borne tropical disease.
Woods research suggests that as temps rise, mosquito ranges are expanding into new regions.
Read more:
🦟 Warming and disease surge: bit.ly/3HRR6DV
🌳 How trees can reduce risk: bit.ly/3SMHKv3
Woods research suggests that as temps rise, mosquito ranges are expanding into new regions.
Read more:
🦟 Warming and disease surge: bit.ly/3HRR6DV
🌳 How trees can reduce risk: bit.ly/3SMHKv3
Warming climate drives disease surge, study shows
Climate change has already contributed substantially to the global burden of dengue fever, a new study finds. Over 260 million people live in places where dengue incidence is expected to more than dou...
bit.ly
October 15, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Yesterday, officials confirmed New York's first local case of a mosquito-borne tropical disease.
Woods research suggests that as temps rise, mosquito ranges are expanding into new regions.
Read more:
🦟 Warming and disease surge: bit.ly/3HRR6DV
🌳 How trees can reduce risk: bit.ly/3SMHKv3
Woods research suggests that as temps rise, mosquito ranges are expanding into new regions.
Read more:
🦟 Warming and disease surge: bit.ly/3HRR6DV
🌳 How trees can reduce risk: bit.ly/3SMHKv3
Meet our inaugural Visiting Policy Fellows!
Alice C. Hill is a senior fellow at @cfr.org and former White House adviser. Michael Jordan, former USAID advisor, is managing director at Banneker Capital.
As fellows, they’ll collaborate with Stanford experts to advance climate policy solutions.
Alice C. Hill is a senior fellow at @cfr.org and former White House adviser. Michael Jordan, former USAID advisor, is managing director at Banneker Capital.
As fellows, they’ll collaborate with Stanford experts to advance climate policy solutions.
October 14, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Meet our inaugural Visiting Policy Fellows!
Alice C. Hill is a senior fellow at @cfr.org and former White House adviser. Michael Jordan, former USAID advisor, is managing director at Banneker Capital.
As fellows, they’ll collaborate with Stanford experts to advance climate policy solutions.
Alice C. Hill is a senior fellow at @cfr.org and former White House adviser. Michael Jordan, former USAID advisor, is managing director at Banneker Capital.
As fellows, they’ll collaborate with Stanford experts to advance climate policy solutions.
Woods fellow William Tarpeh, professor of chemical engineering, has received a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship!
Tarpeh's research on energy-efficient water treatment, funded by a Woods grant, could help meet rising demand for drinkable water in an affordable and sustainable way.
🔗 bit.ly/3KEvn3j
Tarpeh's research on energy-efficient water treatment, funded by a Woods grant, could help meet rising demand for drinkable water in an affordable and sustainable way.
🔗 bit.ly/3KEvn3j
William Tarpeh receives MacArthur Fellowship
The chemical engineering professor was granted the award for his advances in recovering valuable materials from wastewater.
bit.ly
October 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Woods fellow William Tarpeh, professor of chemical engineering, has received a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship!
Tarpeh's research on energy-efficient water treatment, funded by a Woods grant, could help meet rising demand for drinkable water in an affordable and sustainable way.
🔗 bit.ly/3KEvn3j
Tarpeh's research on energy-efficient water treatment, funded by a Woods grant, could help meet rising demand for drinkable water in an affordable and sustainable way.
🔗 bit.ly/3KEvn3j
"Every time a fire starts, we're behind the curve." – Mark Brown, Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority.
Wildfires threaten to upend the public health, economic, and ecological systems of Californian communities. Despite effective prevention strategies, research gaps remain.
🔗 bit.ly/4mPRxgq
Wildfires threaten to upend the public health, economic, and ecological systems of Californian communities. Despite effective prevention strategies, research gaps remain.
🔗 bit.ly/4mPRxgq
‘We can’t afford to not solve this’: Highlighting solutions to the wildfire crisis
Wildfires are threatening lives, infrastructure, and public health systems across the West. Bay Area fire management officials are implementing effective prevention measures – from prescribed burns to...
bit.ly
October 6, 2025 at 5:36 PM
"Every time a fire starts, we're behind the curve." – Mark Brown, Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority.
Wildfires threaten to upend the public health, economic, and ecological systems of Californian communities. Despite effective prevention strategies, research gaps remain.
🔗 bit.ly/4mPRxgq
Wildfires threaten to upend the public health, economic, and ecological systems of Californian communities. Despite effective prevention strategies, research gaps remain.
🔗 bit.ly/4mPRxgq
Woods is hiring! From public health to energy policy, shape practical solutions to the world’s toughest challenges.
➡️ Check out the current openings here: stanford.io/4gI7OCs
➡️ Check out the current openings here: stanford.io/4gI7OCs
September 29, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Woods is hiring! From public health to energy policy, shape practical solutions to the world’s toughest challenges.
➡️ Check out the current openings here: stanford.io/4gI7OCs
➡️ Check out the current openings here: stanford.io/4gI7OCs
Wildfire smoke emissions caused an estimated 41,380 excess deaths per year during 2011 to 2020. Rising temperatures could increase those deaths by more than 70% by 2050, according to a new study.
🔗 bit.ly/46D0AeA
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social #climate #wildfires
🔗 bit.ly/46D0AeA
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social #climate #wildfires
September 24, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Wildfire smoke emissions caused an estimated 41,380 excess deaths per year during 2011 to 2020. Rising temperatures could increase those deaths by more than 70% by 2050, according to a new study.
🔗 bit.ly/46D0AeA
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social #climate #wildfires
🔗 bit.ly/46D0AeA
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social #climate #wildfires
Our colleagues at @stanfordcigh.bsky.social break down a new report explaining that the public health impacts of climate change are "beyond scientific dispute" ⤵️
🔥 😷 🌀 New report from @nationalacademies.org details strongest evidence to date that man-made ghg emissions cause significant harm to human health and wellbeing. CIGH Director Michele Barry served as one of the 16 members of the committee that produced the report.
➡️ Read the Q&A: lnkd.in/g_Juysa
➡️ Read the Q&A: lnkd.in/g_Juysa
September 19, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Our colleagues at @stanfordcigh.bsky.social break down a new report explaining that the public health impacts of climate change are "beyond scientific dispute" ⤵️
Monday is the deadline for public comment on the EPA's proposal to reverse the 2009 endangerment finding – the legal basis for U.S. climate regulation.
Research by Stanford's Chris Field and colleagues shows that evidence for climate change’s impacts has only grown since 2009.
🔗 bit.ly/42FAmql
Research by Stanford's Chris Field and colleagues shows that evidence for climate change’s impacts has only grown since 2009.
🔗 bit.ly/42FAmql
EPA ‘endangerment finding’ explained: 5 facts about the science and health risks
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded in 2009 that carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare, underpinning rules for cars, power plants,...
bit.ly
September 19, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Monday is the deadline for public comment on the EPA's proposal to reverse the 2009 endangerment finding – the legal basis for U.S. climate regulation.
Research by Stanford's Chris Field and colleagues shows that evidence for climate change’s impacts has only grown since 2009.
🔗 bit.ly/42FAmql
Research by Stanford's Chris Field and colleagues shows that evidence for climate change’s impacts has only grown since 2009.
🔗 bit.ly/42FAmql
Check out Woods senior fellow Noah Diffenbaugh's recent Q&A with @sciline.org ⤵️
and our recent Q&A with Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh @woods.stanford.edu www.sciline.org/climate/epa-...
Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh: EPA moves to end limits on climate pollution - SciLine
The EPA's move to revoke the endangerment finding could halt limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh will discuss the implications for public health and climate change.
www.sciline.org
September 17, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Check out Woods senior fellow Noah Diffenbaugh's recent Q&A with @sciline.org ⤵️
Researchers Christopher Knight and Fiorenza Micheli call for safe food to be recognized as a human right in the face of climate change.
"Safe food is a key missing piece of climate adaptation." – Knight, biology phD student.
🔗 bit.ly/3VdI9HV
@oceansolutions.stanford.edu
"Safe food is a key missing piece of climate adaptation." – Knight, biology phD student.
🔗 bit.ly/3VdI9HV
@oceansolutions.stanford.edu
Safe food: A human right amid climate change
Unsafe food leads to illness in an estimated 600 million people and causes 420,000 deaths globally each year (1, 2). Foodborne illness and death disproportionately affect children under the age of 5 a...
bit.ly
September 11, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Researchers Christopher Knight and Fiorenza Micheli call for safe food to be recognized as a human right in the face of climate change.
"Safe food is a key missing piece of climate adaptation." – Knight, biology phD student.
🔗 bit.ly/3VdI9HV
@oceansolutions.stanford.edu
"Safe food is a key missing piece of climate adaptation." – Knight, biology phD student.
🔗 bit.ly/3VdI9HV
@oceansolutions.stanford.edu
Warmer weather is reshaping the landscape of human health.
Cases of dengue could rise as much as 76% across a large swath of Asia and the Americas by 2050, according to a new study.
Read our story: bit.ly/3HRR6DV
Explore the research: bit.ly/3Vc5UjM
Cases of dengue could rise as much as 76% across a large swath of Asia and the Americas by 2050, according to a new study.
Read our story: bit.ly/3HRR6DV
Explore the research: bit.ly/3Vc5UjM
September 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Warmer weather is reshaping the landscape of human health.
Cases of dengue could rise as much as 76% across a large swath of Asia and the Americas by 2050, according to a new study.
Read our story: bit.ly/3HRR6DV
Explore the research: bit.ly/3Vc5UjM
Cases of dengue could rise as much as 76% across a large swath of Asia and the Americas by 2050, according to a new study.
Read our story: bit.ly/3HRR6DV
Explore the research: bit.ly/3Vc5UjM
Plant pressings have been around since the 1600s. Armed with 21st-century technology, Woods senior fellow and assistant professor of biology Barnabas Daru has a plan to unlock a wealth of biodiversity information from centuries-old dried plant samples.
Read the story: bit.ly/3HLApKi
Read the story: bit.ly/3HLApKi
Plant samples preserved in museums may hold key to advancing biodiversity
Herbaria, or “museums for plants,” house millions of samples collected over centuries. Stanford biologist Barnabas Daru shares how modern technology can unlock this treasure trove.
bit.ly
September 4, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Plant pressings have been around since the 1600s. Armed with 21st-century technology, Woods senior fellow and assistant professor of biology Barnabas Daru has a plan to unlock a wealth of biodiversity information from centuries-old dried plant samples.
Read the story: bit.ly/3HLApKi
Read the story: bit.ly/3HLApKi
A species of disease-carrying mosquitoes is gaining a foothold in Southern California, thanks to rising temperatures and mild winters.
Watch Woods fellow Erin Mordecai discuss her team's research in Costa Rica, tracking mosquito migration to better predict future disease risk.
🎬: bit.ly/47U4L7L
Watch Woods fellow Erin Mordecai discuss her team's research in Costa Rica, tracking mosquito migration to better predict future disease risk.
🎬: bit.ly/47U4L7L
August 29, 2025 at 7:05 PM
A species of disease-carrying mosquitoes is gaining a foothold in Southern California, thanks to rising temperatures and mild winters.
Watch Woods fellow Erin Mordecai discuss her team's research in Costa Rica, tracking mosquito migration to better predict future disease risk.
🎬: bit.ly/47U4L7L
Watch Woods fellow Erin Mordecai discuss her team's research in Costa Rica, tracking mosquito migration to better predict future disease risk.
🎬: bit.ly/47U4L7L
Human urine is often seen as waste. But globally, it contains enough nitrogen to meet 14% of annual fertilizer demand.
A new Stanford-designed system uses solar power to extract fertilizer directly from urine.
Read our story here: bit.ly/45T6B6y
A new Stanford-designed system uses solar power to extract fertilizer directly from urine.
Read our story here: bit.ly/45T6B6y
August 21, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Human urine is often seen as waste. But globally, it contains enough nitrogen to meet 14% of annual fertilizer demand.
A new Stanford-designed system uses solar power to extract fertilizer directly from urine.
Read our story here: bit.ly/45T6B6y
A new Stanford-designed system uses solar power to extract fertilizer directly from urine.
Read our story here: bit.ly/45T6B6y
It's research grant award season! Each year, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment awards funding to bold, interdisciplinary projects tackling our planet’s most urgent challenges.
🏆 Meet the 2025 awardees here: bit.ly/3UCIhR8
🏆 Meet the 2025 awardees here: bit.ly/3UCIhR8
August 21, 2025 at 4:01 PM
It's research grant award season! Each year, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment awards funding to bold, interdisciplinary projects tackling our planet’s most urgent challenges.
🏆 Meet the 2025 awardees here: bit.ly/3UCIhR8
🏆 Meet the 2025 awardees here: bit.ly/3UCIhR8
Check out Woods fellow Kate Maher talking beavers on @cbsnews.com:
"Beavers are incredibly efficient ecosystem engineers. Their ponds create 'green zones', which help plants survive drought and act as fire suppression corridors."
🎬: bit.ly/4fMIXx5
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social
"Beavers are incredibly efficient ecosystem engineers. Their ponds create 'green zones', which help plants survive drought and act as fire suppression corridors."
🎬: bit.ly/4fMIXx5
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social
Reintroducing beavers in certain habitats could improve ecosystems and water quality, study finds
Beaver populations have dwindled throughout North America over the last hundred years, but a new study says strategically returning them to ecosystems could benefit humans and Mother Nature. Kate Maher, professor of Earth system sciences at Stanford University and senior author of the study, joins CBS News to break down the findings. CBS News 24/7 is the premier anchored streaming news service from CBS News and Stations that is available free to everyone with access to the internet and is the destination for breaking news, live events, original reporting and storytelling, and programs from CBS News and Stations' top anchors and correspondents working locally, nationally and around the globe. It is available on more than 30 platforms across mobile, desktop and connected TVs for free, as well as CBSNews.com and Paramount+ and live in 91 countries. Subscribe to the CBS News YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/cbsnews Watch CBS News: https://cbsnews.com/live/ Download the CBS News app: https://cbsnews.com/mobile/ Follow CBS News on Instagram: https://instagram.com/cbsnews/ Like CBS News on Facebook: https://facebook.com/cbsnews Follow CBS News on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbsnews Subscribe to our newsletters: https://cbsnews.com/newsletters/ Try Paramount+ free: https://paramountplus.com/?ftag=PPM-05-10aeh8h For video licensing inquiries, contact: [email protected]
bit.ly
August 19, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Check out Woods fellow Kate Maher talking beavers on @cbsnews.com:
"Beavers are incredibly efficient ecosystem engineers. Their ponds create 'green zones', which help plants survive drought and act as fire suppression corridors."
🎬: bit.ly/4fMIXx5
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social
"Beavers are incredibly efficient ecosystem engineers. Their ponds create 'green zones', which help plants survive drought and act as fire suppression corridors."
🎬: bit.ly/4fMIXx5
@stanforddoerr.bsky.social
🔥 Prescribed fire can protect lives, property, and ecosystems – but how can we expand its use on private lands?
In our upcoming webinar, Stanford researchers and wildfire experts will examine state policies and barriers to action.
🔗 Register here: bit.ly/45owBpO
#wildfire #prescribedfire
In our upcoming webinar, Stanford researchers and wildfire experts will examine state policies and barriers to action.
🔗 Register here: bit.ly/45owBpO
#wildfire #prescribedfire
August 13, 2025 at 9:21 PM
🔥 Prescribed fire can protect lives, property, and ecosystems – but how can we expand its use on private lands?
In our upcoming webinar, Stanford researchers and wildfire experts will examine state policies and barriers to action.
🔗 Register here: bit.ly/45owBpO
#wildfire #prescribedfire
In our upcoming webinar, Stanford researchers and wildfire experts will examine state policies and barriers to action.
🔗 Register here: bit.ly/45owBpO
#wildfire #prescribedfire
New points for policymakers from Woods scholars lay out:
🌽 What we've learned from 50 years of #ClimateChange effects on crops: stanford.io/3HmXfaH
+
🌍 What farmer adaptations could mean for global #FoodSecurity: bit.ly/4mbrf8O
🌽 What we've learned from 50 years of #ClimateChange effects on crops: stanford.io/3HmXfaH
+
🌍 What farmer adaptations could mean for global #FoodSecurity: bit.ly/4mbrf8O
August 12, 2025 at 8:43 PM
New points for policymakers from Woods scholars lay out:
🌽 What we've learned from 50 years of #ClimateChange effects on crops: stanford.io/3HmXfaH
+
🌍 What farmer adaptations could mean for global #FoodSecurity: bit.ly/4mbrf8O
🌽 What we've learned from 50 years of #ClimateChange effects on crops: stanford.io/3HmXfaH
+
🌍 What farmer adaptations could mean for global #FoodSecurity: bit.ly/4mbrf8O
🦫 Bringing back #beavers – and the nature-based solutions they offer for #freshwater, #biodiversity, and #ClimateResilience
New study uses #RemoteSensing to map beaver dams + ponds with an eye toward prioritizing areas for restoration and reintroducing beavers.
🔗 bit.ly/bringing-back-beavers
New study uses #RemoteSensing to map beaver dams + ponds with an eye toward prioritizing areas for restoration and reintroducing beavers.
🔗 bit.ly/bringing-back-beavers
August 11, 2025 at 8:13 PM
🦫 Bringing back #beavers – and the nature-based solutions they offer for #freshwater, #biodiversity, and #ClimateResilience
New study uses #RemoteSensing to map beaver dams + ponds with an eye toward prioritizing areas for restoration and reintroducing beavers.
🔗 bit.ly/bringing-back-beavers
New study uses #RemoteSensing to map beaver dams + ponds with an eye toward prioritizing areas for restoration and reintroducing beavers.
🔗 bit.ly/bringing-back-beavers