Strengthening Resilience Through Collaboration: Lessons from the 2025 EDEN Annual Conference

By Alicia Betancourt
University of Florida, IFAS Extension

As extreme weather becomes more frequent and destructive, Cooperative Extension’s role in building community resilience has never been more vital. The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) unites Extension professionals and emergency partners across the U.S. to share strategies that protect lives, livelihoods, and landscapes.At the 2025 EDEN Annual Conference in Portland, Maine, Extension professionals, researchers, and community leaders came together to share lessons learned from recent disasters and explore tools for long-term recovery and resilience.

Thanks to an ANREP travel scholarship, I was able to attend and connect with colleagues from across the country who are leading disaster recovery, environmental resilience, and public health initiatives.

Health, Recovery, and Resilience in the Wake of Disaster
One of the most compelling sessions summarized findings from four cross-sectional studies of three major disasters: Researchers identified long-term health impacts and structural barriers that hinder recovery, particularly among individuals with limited access to disaster communications or resources. Participants reported mental health challenges, persistent stress, and difficulty navigating insurance and aid programs.
These findings underscore the power of Extension’s local connections—helping bridge information gaps, promote health resources, and build trust during disaster recovery.

Building Riverfront Resilience in Maine
Another highlight was a presentation from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, which focused on the December 2023 flood of the Kennebec River.

Municipalities and community groups have since struggled to rehabilitate and strengthen riverfront parks and open spaces, which play a vital role in community well-being and ecosystem health. Without proper planning, these areas are vulnerable to erosion, invasive species, and biodiversity loss following extreme weather events.

In response, University of Maine Extension is developing a decision-making matrix to guide land managers in evaluating strategies that improve the resilience of public spaces. The tool integrates: Once completed in Summer 2025, the matrix will help land managers nationwide develop actionable, cost-effective plans to protect urban riverfronts from flooding and climate-related damage.

Wildfire Resilience Through Collaboration: Texas’s WMPP Initiative
Following the Texas Panhandle wildfires of February 2024, local AgriLife Extension agents initiated discussions that led to the creation of the Wildfire Mitigation and Prevention Program (WMPP)—a proactive initiative designed to help counties prevent structure loss and enhance landscape resilience.
Launched in November 2024, WMPP has already reached 16 counties across Texas Disaster Districts, with more scheduled.
WMPP workshops emphasize two main goals:
  1. Home and infrastructure hardening to prevent wildfire damage.
  2. Landscape resilience through prescribed burns, firebreaks, grazing management, and vegetation control.
Participants also learn to document agricultural losses, address animal welfare concerns, and apply for cost-share incentive programs for land management. Post-event evaluations conducted by Texas A&M University reveal a significant shift toward proactive mitigation behaviors among participants—evidence of the Extension’s impact on changing community mindsets and practices.
This program exemplifies how Extension’s collaborative model—connecting local, state, and federal entities—can deliver life-saving education while strengthening rural resilience.
 

How Cooperative Extension Can Benefit from Engaging with EDEN
Every Extension program area can enhance its community impact by engaging with EDEN resources and partnerships.
Connect with other professionals by joining the EDEN Extension Foundation subgroup on Connect Extension for discussions, events, and shared resources.

You can also explore EDEN’s national resources, toolkits, and training opportunities at extensiondisaster.net.

Looking Ahead: EDEN 2026 in Tampa, Florida
The next EDEN Annual Conference will be held February 24-26, 2026, in Tampa, Florida—an ideal opportunity for Extension professionals to collaborate, learn, and advance resilience efforts in the face of climate change.

Attending the 2025 conference reaffirmed that resilience grows through connection and collaboration. Through networks like EDEN, Cooperative Extension continues to lead the way in helping communities prepare, respond, and recover—stronger and more united than before.