About - The Nature Record
About
The Nature Record is a national initiative bringing together knowledge, storytelling, and public participation to elevate the role of nature in the U.S.
We’re dedicated to understanding how nature shapes our lives and how we shape what comes next.
Every aspect of our lives depends on nature: the food we eat, the air we breathe, the technology in our hands, our economy, and American culture itself. We are not separate from land, water, and wildlife, but how well do we know nature?
We’re building the first-ever holistic assessment of U.S. lands, waters, and wildlife and the benefits they provide. The Nature Record National Assessment is essential, and it’s just the beginning. Together we’re creating a living record that holds trends, wisdom, and story.
Each chapter of the assessment begins with a simple question: What do we most need to understand? Hundreds of authors shape key messages, analyze data, debate evidence, and revise again and again with editors, designers, and subject-matter experts. It’s a rigorous, collaborative process that turns many ways of seeing the world into one coherent, accessible story.
Beyond the assessment, we’re developing tools to help communities and individuals put knowledge to work and stories that inspire collective action. Together we can make visible the truth we already feel: that we are, all of us, connected to nature in every way.
Our work centers on understanding nature. We connect the state of nature in the U.S. to health, the economy, national security, equity, climate, and culture — exploring how nature shapes every aspect of our lives.
Our independent team invites people across the country to contribute to our collective knowledge of nature: the patterns we need to see, the voices we need to hear, and the data to inform what’s next.
We envision a world where nature is woven into everyday decisions, from city plans to national priorities. Because when we understand our relationship to nature, we can shape a future where people and places thrive.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Amy W. Ando
Amy W. Ando is Professor and Department Chair of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at Ohio State University.
‘Aulani Wilhelm
‘Aulani Wilhelm is CEO of Nia Tero, directly supporting Indigenous Peoples’ guardianship to ensure planetary health and habitability.
Bilal M. Ayyub
Bilal M. Ayyub is Professor and Director of the Center for Technology and Systems Management at the University of Maryland.
Heather Tallis (Chair)
Heather Tallis is Senior Fellow at UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience, co-founder of The Nature Record, and Secretariat Chair.
Jane Lubchenco
Jane Lubchenco is Distinguished Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University and co-founder of The Nature Record.
Next Steps
We’re on track to complete the first-ever holistic assessment of nature in the U.S. in 2026. We invite you to follow the journey, take part in the process, and join us in furthering what we know about nature.
Winter-Spring 2026:
Review and comment
Summer 2026:
Chapter revisions
Fall 2026: