SAFL Hosts the German-American Nature-Based Solutions Exchange

August 27, 2026

The German-American Nature-Based Solutions Exchange (GANBASE) offers nature conservation and environmental protection stakeholders the opportunity to exchange ideas on nature-based solutions across the Atlantic. This program takes participants to Berlin and Leipzig, Germany for a week in June followed by a week in Minnesota in August. During this time, practitioners, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, and more from both the United States and Germany exchange approaches and experiences. The goal of GANBASE is to present excellent research from both nations.

While the 2026 GANBASE program group was visiting Minnesota, it stopped at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. Over the course of the morning, participants heard short presentations from John Anfinson, a river historian for over 30 years and SAFL contributor, and two researchers from Emily Fairfax’s beaver lab, Jessie Moravek and Andrew Arlt. John shared how Germany and the United States have exchanged ideas around river infrastructure throughout history, and discussed upcoming projects related to removing locks and dams along the Mississippi. Jessie and Andrew gave an overview of the beaver ecosystem engineering research conducted at SAFL and showed physical examples of logs and sticks that local beavers interacted with, a 3D-printed beaver skull, and a preserved beaver tail.

Following the presentations, the group was led to SAFL’s model floor to see where SAFL will build the Lock and Dam No. 1 model, and SAFL engineer Matt Lueker answered questions related to the project. Then the group had the opportunity to see SAFL’s indoor beaver flume as well as the outdoor space where SAFL is currently building a beaver stream lab.

After their stop at SAFL, the group was led by John to other areas along the Mississippi River, which included a stop at Lock and Dam No. 1, which will be modeled by SAFL later this year to study how removing the structure could change the river.