Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $320,540 grant to the Nurture Nature Center, which is dedicated to engaging the public in learning about environmental risks.

Funds will support a two-year mixed-methods social science research study of three forecast products to propose improvements to the display and communication of uncertainty and probabilistic information in hydrologic forecasts.

“For the well-being of our nation and for the good of our families, we each need to be able to prepare and respond to effects of extreme or dangerous weather,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. “That is why I strongly support investments in research that will improve how we receive and understand weather forecasts.”

“The Nurture Nature Center’s research team will use this award to build on the findings from our prior studies about the needs users have for hydrologic forecast information,” said Rachel Hogan Carr, Executive Director.  “We’re excited to expand our work to the national level and to make recommendations to the National Weather Service about how residents, emergency managers and water resource managers use, understand and make decisions based upon flood forecast products, and specifically, how emerging probabilistic forecast capacity can be most useful.” The Nurture Nature Center is located in downtown Easton and offers the public a range of events, including science programs, community dialogue sessions, film viewings, art exhibits, and workshops.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce and is dedicated to keeping citizens informed of the changing environment around them. Funds were made available through NOAA’s Office of Weather and Air Quality (OWAQ), which helps to improve weather forecast information and products for the nation by supporting high-impact weather and air quality research that ultimately leads to improvements in NOAA’s operational forecasts that help save lives and reduce property damage.