Facilities

► Overview

NCED's research, its associated scientific discoveries, and its interactions with the community have been made possible through the development of an extensive array of research field sites and experimental facilities. The development of this “hardware” has enabled NCED to not only make significant advances in predicting the coupled dynamics of landscapes and their ecosystems, but also to communicate this knowledge to partners outside of NCED, helping us transform the management and restoration of the Earth-surface environment.

► Community Participation

The goal of NCED’s Knowledge Transfer Initiative is to create and maintain collaborations among NCED researchers, our science stakeholders, the broader research community, and NCED participants, in order to ensure that NCED research is informed by the greatest societal needs and that the insights and tools NCED produces are incorporated into practice in a significant way. In light of this goal, NCED's research field sites and experimental facilities are accessible to researchers who participate in the many programs NCED supports, e.g., Visitor Program, Working Groups, Workshops, Faculty-to-Faculty Program, Research Experience for Undergraduates, Summer Institute on Earth-surface Dynamics, Partner Groups, and Research Cooperatives.

► Tools for Teaching and Communication

Communicating the scientific discoveries developed in our research field sites and experimental facilities has been largely
accomplished through another set of tools—exhibitions and educational materials, many developed in concert with the Science Museum of Minnesota. These materials have been widely successful in educating students, teachers, policy-makers, and the general public about Earth science. Together, our research field sites, experimental facilities, and educational materials leave not only a physical legacy of their presence but also a highly successful template for research, disciplinary synthesis, and education upon which future work can be built.