Over sixty community members joined us at New Hope Creek near the Wooden Bridge in the Korstian Division for our first-ever Biodiversity Day. Local experts led small groups through nearby habitats while sharing their knowledge on plants, fungi, birds, fish, and mussels. Participants also learned about how our ongoing restoration projects aim to promote biodiversity.
Executive Director Sara Childs and Andrew Friedman-Herring MEM ’23 opened the event by encouraging everyone to think deeply about biodiversity and its impact on our daily lives. She reminded us that understanding the diversity of life around us can empower each of us to become changemakers, especially in this time of global biodiversity loss.
Dr. Bob Peet, ecologist and Research Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been studying plants in the Duke Forest since the 1970s when he first began his forest composition research with Duke’s Norm Christensen. Bob led a fascinating “walk and talk” on how to read a forested landscape, including how to recognize signs of historic land use, notice changes in vegetation, and understand how plant communities can reveal the hidden history and geology of an area.
Dr. Rytas Vilgalys, mycologist and Professor of Biology at Duke University, took attendees on a mini mushroom foray to discover the incredible world of fungi all around us. His groups searched the forest floor, tree trunks, and downed logs for unique mycological specimens and discussed the symbiotic relationships between fungi and plants that sustain a healthy forest.
Alex Nickley, a Duke staff member, an avid birder, and advisor for the Duke Birding Club, led engaging conversations about the birds of our region. Alex provided tips for beginner birders, shared insights into how biological characteristics of common birds indicate their diet, habitat, and behavior, and led his groups on hikes to listen and look for our feathered friends.
Presentations by North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Biologists Brena Jones and Langston Rimmer highlighted the aquatic diversity of New Hope Creek, particularly the mussel and fish species that call it home. They discussed the federally threatened Atlantic Pigtoe mussel (Fusconaia masoni) and its host species, the Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), both of which will benefit from the removal of the old Concrete Bridge as part of the restoration projects. Brena and Langston caught a variety of fish, crayfish, and mussels for attendees to see up close, and they encouraged folks to get their feet wet while exploring the creek as part of their demonstrations.
Biodiversity Day was truly a celebration of the unique variety of life that thrives in the Duke Forest and our collective role in protecting and stewarding it for generations to come.
Thank you to all who joined us for New Hope Creek Biodiversity Day!
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We extend our sincere gratitude to Tim and Lori Rowe for establishing the New Hope Creek Teaching and Research Fund. Their support facilitates research and the development of educational programs linked to our New Hope Creek Restoration Projects.