Michael Drescher, PhD

Dr. Michael Drescher is Associate Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo, where he teaches in environmental studies, environmental policy, and regional planning. He is also Director of the Heritages Resources Centre, University of Waterloo, focusing on natural heritage systems. He holds additional appointments as Affiliated Faculty with the Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University at Bloomington, USA, and as Associate Editor of the journal Environmental Management. He holds a MSc degree in Ecology from Utrecht University, Netherlands, and a PhD in Resource Conservation from Wageningen University, Netherlands.

• green-blue infrastructure

• nature-based solutions

• natural assets

• environmental social sciences

• urban

• rural

Natural assets are the stocks of natural resources and ecosystems that produce ecosystem services. Nature-based solutions, then, are actions we take to optimize ecosystem services use to help resolve societal challenges such as climate change adaptation and mitigation, floodwater control, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and threats to people's physical and mental health. Conventional approaches to resolving these challenges tend to employ "hard" technology and infrastructure, which is very effective at doing one thing, but is also expensive and has a limited lifespan. In contrast, nature-based solutions have the potential to be more cost-effective, are multi-functional, and, in principle, have unlimited lifespan. Evidence suggests that hybrid systems of hard technology combined with nature-based solutions may provide the most effective solutions to a range of societal problems.

Despite this potential of nature-based solutions, their proactive use currently remains limited. The planning and implementation of nature-based solutions often hinges on support from permitting authorities at various levels of government. But these authorities experience path dependency, risk aversion, operational constraints, lack of capacity, and other factors that can be barriers to their support. Local communities also have to be in support of nature-based solutions, but resource constraints, lack of knowledge, and competing land uses may hold them back.

Our research investigates how natural assets and nature-based solutions function in urban and regional planning contexts. We explore the social dimensions of environmental conservation, examining how communities interact with and value natural assets. This includes investigating the effectiveness of nature-based solutions as complements to conventional "grey" infrastructure, particularly in urban climate adaptation contexts. Our interdisciplinary work reflects contemporary environmental sociology's focus on the social construction of nature, power dynamics in environmental decision-making, and the justice implications of conservation policies. This research bridges environmental sociology with practical policy implementation, and centres inclusive, cross-sector, and community-engaged approaches to environmental planning.

I am available for contract research. My contract work experience includes policy review, curriculum review, stakeholder surveys, vision development, and expert assessments in the natural resources, natural assets, and heritage fields.I have completed contracts for the Natural Assets Initiative, Northern Policy Institute, Lake Huron Coastal Centre, Ontario Ministry of Education, Community Heritage Ontario, Township of North Dumfries, City of Stratford, and Region of Waterloo.

• Ph.D. Ecology and Resource Conservation, Wageningen University, Netherlands

• M.Sc. Ecology, Utrecht University, Netherlands

• Selected recent research awards

• Co-applicant: A Tinderbox of Overlapping Stressors: examining southern Vancouver Island residents' emotions and

• behavioural responses to climate change and community planning. SSHRC Insights Grant, 2026.

• Co-applicant: Acting Locally, Leading Globally with Build Now Waterloo Region: A Living Lab focused on affordable housing innovation. Global Futures Network, University of Waterloo, 2025.

• Principal Investigator: Hoofing it in the City. UW-SSHRC Explore Grant. University of Waterloo, 2025.

• Collaborator: Harnessing data to advance natural asset management: a data-driven, national approach to natural asset monitoring. RBC Foundation Climate Change Initiative, 2024.

• Collaborator: A quick-scoping portrait of heat island and green infrastructure vulnerabilities and opportunities for the City of Waterloo. Mitacs Business Strategy Internship Proposal, 2024.

• Collaborator: Resilience to Climate Vulnerability and Environmental Risk (RECOVER): A Focus on Small Islands in Asia. International Development Research Centre and UK Aid Direct – Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) Program, 2024.

• Principal Investigator: Quantifying the impact of geographic and socio-economic drivers of carbon loss hotspots in the Ontario farm sector. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative 2023-2024.

• Principal Investigator and Project Director: Residential Development Impact Scorecard for the Environment (RISE): An assessment tool for carbon stock and greenhouse gas impacts of residential developments. Environment and Climate Change Canada – Climate Action and Awareness Fund, 2022.

• Collaborator: Residential Property Insurance and Heritage Designation. Community Heritage Ontario, 2021.

• Principal Investigator: Municipal Register of cultural heritage properties – phase II. City of Stratford, 2021.

• Principal Investigator: Overcoming barriers to adoption of environmental best management practices in the Ontario farm sector during times of structural change. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative, 2021.

• Co-applicant: Data fusion and analysis to predict overland flow flood risk: establishing a proof of concept. Water Institute Seed Grant, 2021.

• Principal Investigator: Townships of Wilmot and North Dumfries Cultural Heritage Study. Region of Waterloo, 2020.

• Principal Investigator: Building resiliency in the face of climate change: A workshop for Ontario land trusts and conservation practitioners. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Connection Grant, 2020.

• Principal Investigator: Advancing municipal natural asset management through monitoring and engagement. Mitacs Accelerate, 2019.

• Principal Investigator: Memories of the future: Using participatory scenarios of environmental threats to turn conservation from intent into action. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, UW-SSHRC RIF Grant, 2019. University of Waterloo.

• Principal Investigator: Municipal Register of cultural heritage properties – phase I. City of Stratford, 2018.

• Principal Investigator: Narrative scenarios of environmental threats to biodiversity on private land. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, UW-SSHRC Seed Grant, 2018. University of Waterloo.

• Principal Investigator: Identifying Barriers and Opportunities to Refining, Replicating and Scaling Up Municipal Natural Assets Projects: An Ontario Municipal Perspective. Smart Prosperity Institute, 2017. Ottawa.

• Principal Investigator: Townships of Woolwich and Wellesley Cultural Heritage Landscape Studies. Mitacs Accelerate, 2016.

• Principal Investigator: Evaluating Community Engagement Strategies Effectiveness to Influence Attitudes on Green Stormwater Infrastructure. Partners for Action (University of Waterloo), Reep Green Solutions and City of Cambridge, 2016.

• Principal Investigator: Urban Forest Revitalization and Research Project. TD Friends of the Environment. 2016.

• Senator: University of Waterloo Senate, 2011-2017, 2025-present

• Member of Advisory Council, Couchiching Conservancy, 2018-present

• Member of Climate Change Working Group, Ontario Land Trust Alliance, 2018-2025.

• Member of Environment Faculty Tenure and Promotion Committee, 2023-2024

• Member of Indigenous Curriculum Working Group, 2022-2024

• Associate Director Undergraduate, School of Planning, 2016-2020

• Member of Protected Areas Task Force, Carolinian Canada, 2018 - 2019

• Member of Faculty of Environment Dean's Nominating Committee, 2014-2015, 2019

• Faculty of Environment Faculty Advocate for the HeForShe Campaign, 2015-2016

• Society for Conservation Biology

• Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis

• GEMCC 652 - Climate Change and Community Planning
  • Taught in 2023, 2024, 2025
• PLAN 104 - Perspectives on Planning
  • Taught in 2023
• PLAN 340 - Canadian Environmental Policy and Politics
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• PLAN 419 - Planning Climate Change and Community
  • Taught in 2025
• PLAN 452 - Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation
  • Taught in 2022
• PLAN 474 - Special Topics in Planning
  • Taught in 2023, 2024
• PLAN 627 - Climate Change and Community Planning
  • Taught in 2023, 2024, 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Selected recent publications

• Ahmed, H.*, Drescher, M., and Parker, D.C. Intermediary functions of landscape architects and non-profits in shaping green infrastructure within new residential developments in Ontario, Canada. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 114, 129093.

• Masoudi, M., Ferguson, J.*, Khan, A.*, Liu, G.*, Skoyles, A.*, and Drescher, M. 2025. Synthesizing the evidence on green and blue infrastructure for urban temperature mitigation in Canada. Environmental Reviews 33, 1-17.

• Drescher, M., Koscinski, D., Quinn, J, and Roblin, M. 2025. M. Helping land trusts prepare for a new climate: Experiences of challenges and facilitators for translating knowledge about climate change adaptation in Ontario, Canada. FACETS 10, 1-18.

• Skoyles, A. *, Drescher, M., Parker, D.C., and Robinson, D.T. 2025. Nature’s Role in Residential Development: Identifying Leverage Points for Climate Change Planning in Ontario, Canada. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 105, 128714.

• Ahmed, H.*, Parker, D.C. and Drescher, M. 2025. Adoption determinants and policy tools for residential green stormwater infrastructure: A review synthesizing differences and commonalities among different stormwater management practices. Journal of Environmental Management 373, 123279.

• Drescher, M. and Skoyles, A.* 2024. Urban climate change adaptation planning using participatory scenarios: A systematic review of methods and approaches. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 69(2), 309–332.

• Drescher, M., Hannay, J.*, Feick, R. and Caldwell, W. 2024. Social psychological factors drive farmers’ adoption of environmental best management practices. Journal of Environmental Management 350, 119491.

• Birch, W.S.*, Drescher, M., Rooney, R. and Pittman, J. 2023. Influences of Urban Stormwater Management Ponds on Wetlandscape Connectivity. Canadian Water Resources Journal 49(1), 64-79.

• Martin del Campo, F.*, Singh, S.J., Fishman, T., Thomas, A. and Drescher, M. 2023. The Bahamas at risk: Material stocks, sea-level rise, and the implications for development. Journal of Industrial Ecology 27(4), 1165-1183.

• Martin del Campo, F.*, Singh, S.J., Fishman, T., Thomas, A., Noll, D. and Drescher, M. 2023. Can a small island nation build resilience? The significance of resource-use patterns and socio-metabolic risks in The Bahamas. Journal of Industrial Ecology 27(2), 491-507.

• Dastgerdi, A.S., Sargolini, M., Broussard Allred, S., Chatrchyan, A.M., Drescher, M. and DeGeer, C.* 2022. Climate Change Risk Reduction in Cultural Landscapes: Insights from Cinque Terre and Waterloo. Land Use Policy 123, 106359.

• Drescher, M., Kim, Y.H.* and Warriner, G.K. 2022. Private landowners’ childhood nature experiences affect their feelings of connectedness-to-nature and land stewardship as adults. Biological Conservation 274, 109713.

• Ayambire, R.A.*, Pittman, J., Drescher, M., Moreno-Cruz, J. and Olive, A. 2022. Governance of working landscapes: a conceptual framework. Sustainability Science 17, 2579–2596.

• Oviedo, M.*, Drescher, M., Dean, J. 2022. Urban green space values, uses and access: A case study of user perceptions in Toronto ravine parks. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 70, 127522.

• Birch, W.S.*, Drescher, M., Pittman, J. and Rooney, R. 2022. Trends and Predictors of Wetland Conversion in Urbanizing Environments. Journal of Environmental Management 310, 114723.

• Drescher, M. and Warriner, G.K. 2022. Environmental Concerns and Stewardship Behaviors Among Rural Landowners: What Supports Farmers and Non-farmers in Being Good Stewards? Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 6, 758426.

• Drescher, M. and Sinasac, S*. 2021. Social-psychological determinants of the implementation of green infrastructure for residential stormwater management. Environmental Management 67, 308-322.

• Dean, J., Biglieri, S., Drescher, M., Garnett, A., Glover, T. and Casello, J. 2020. Thinking relationally about built environments and walkability: A study of adult walking behavior in Waterloo, Ontario. Health and Place 64, 102352.

• Drescher, M. 2019. Urban heating and canopy cover need to be considered as matters of environmental justice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(52), 26153-26154.

• Drescher, M., Epstein, G., Warriner, K. and Rooney, R. 2019. An Investigation of the Effects of Conservation Incentive Programs on Management of Invasive Species by Private Landowners. Conservation Science and Practice 1, e56.

• Drescher, M. and Edwards, R.C.* 2019. A systematic review of transparency in the methods of expert knowledge use. Journal of Applied Ecology 56(2), 436-449.

• Elton, K.* and Drescher, M. 2018. Implementing wildlife-management strategies into road infrastructure in southern Ontario: a critical success factors approach. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 62(5), 862-880

• Drescher, M. and Brenner, J.C. 2018. The practice and promise of private land conservation. Ecology and Society 23(2), 3.

• Endicott, S*., Drescher, M. and Brenning, A. 2017. Modelling the Spread of European Buckthorn in the Region of Waterloo. Biological Invasions 19(10), 2993–3011.

• Drescher, M., Warriner, G.K., Farmer, J.R. and Larson, B.M.H. 2017. Private landowners and environmental conservation: A case study of socio-psychological determinants of conservation program participation in Ontario. Ecology and Society 22(1), 44.

• Farmer, J.R., Ma, Z., Drescher, M., Knackmuhs, E.G. and Dickinson, S. 2016. Private Landowners, Voluntary Conservation Programs, and Implementation of Conservation Friendly Land Management Practices. Conservation Letters 10, 58–66.

• Farmer, J.R., Brenner, J., Drescher, M., Dickinson, S., Knackmuhs, E.G. 2016. Perpetual private land conservation: The case for outdoor recreation and functional leisure. Ecology and Society 21(2), 46.