Conservancy blueprint puts nature to work against floods

Sometimes Mother Nature really does know best — including when it comes to flood protection. 

That’s the premise of a new resource — Working with Nature: Flood Resilience Blueprint — released this month by Conservancy of Southwest Florida to promote nature-based approaches to reducing flood and storm impacts in coastal communities. 

Carrie Schuman, Ph.D., climate resilience advisor for Conservancy, said the blueprint is meant to demonstrate how mangroves, wetlands, oyster reefs, dunes and other natural systems can work with traditional “gray” infrastructure, including seawalls and stormwater systems. 

According to Conservancy, mangroves are more than just a defining feature of Southwest Florida’s coastline: They serve as a literal frontline defense against storm surge. 

For example, Schuman said a 2019 study found that mangroves reduce average annual flood losses to properties behind them in Collier County by about 25%. A separate study published in Cell Reports Sustainability in 2025 estimated that mangroves reduce annual storm-surge property losses in Collier County by $67 million. 

Schuman said the blueprint, developed in collaboration with Miami-based consulting and engineering firm Cummins Cederberg and Largo-based Ecosphere Restoration Institute, provides a science- and engineering-based resource showing how nature-based strategies can be “layered in” to create multiple lines of flood defense. 

“We really advocate for what we would call balanced adaptation,” Schuman said. “We’re advocating for these approaches because our region is dealing with changing conditions, such as increased flooding from multiple sources, intensifying storms and hotter days and nights.” 

That balanced adaptation, she said, can also provide benefits for water quality, wildlife habitat and quality of life for residents and visitors. 

Nature as infrastructure 

Schuman said the blueprint, which identifies strategies that could be adapted to different types of locations in Naples or other coastal communities, is designed as an education and communication tool, not a final engineering plan. 

Of the six concepts in the blueprint, five focus on characteristic shoreline types within the city of Naples, with the sixth focusing on local parks: mangrove protection; mangrove planter; living riprap; living seawall; beach access; and park-based resilience features. 

Schuman emphasized that nature-based solutions are not a “magic bullet” to eliminate flooding, but they can help reduce its impacts. 

“The goal is never to say we can keep water out entirely,” she said. “Florida is a state really built on water, so you’re not going to keep water out, but you’re going to reduce the speed that it comes in, and you’re going to dissipate some of that wave energy.” 

From blueprint to pilot programs 

Conservancy says the blueprint provides a resource for community and government leaders, property owners, homeowners and other decision-makers to explore how these strategies, in tandem with traditional infrastructure solutions, can create multiple lines of defense that help reduce damage and improve recovery. 

As for what could happen next, Schuman said education is necessary to change how Southwest Florida thinks about infrastructure and to encourage the development of pilot programs. 

She said there is no set number of pilot programs or firm implementation timeline, and Conservancy will work to identify potential partners and appropriate sites. 

As for costs, Schuman said nature-based projects are often less expensive than totally “gray” designs such as seawalls but could still range from about $200,000 to $1 million or more. 

Conservancy says those interested in implementing a pilot project should work with a Florida-registered professional engineer to develop site-specific designs and obtain necessary permits.