For Lirio Hittle, MF ’92, the Duke Forest has long been more than a place to study trees. It is where a self-described “life-long city dweller” discovered a passion that would shape the course of her life and career.
In a reflection she shared on our website several years ago, Lirio described the profound impact of her time in the Forest as a graduate student at Duke’s School of Forestry. One memorable moment in particular was standing in a pouring rainstorm while coring loblolly pine trees for a dendrology class taught by Professor Dan Richter. When students questioned whether they would really be heading into the woods in such weather, Richter enthusiastically replied that it was “the best time to see the interaction between water and trees.”
For Lirio, the experience changed her. “I was transformed that day, soaked by the rain, taking in [the Forest’s] beauty and complexity,” she wrote. “The Duke Forest was instrumental in the formation of my enduring love for the beautiful eastern forests.” That transformation would guide a career focused on climate and environmental solutions, from climate policy work in Washington, D.C., to participation in United Nations climate negotiations, to helping policymakers in Hawaiʻi understand the role forests can play in addressing climate change and community resilience. Throughout her career, a common thread has remained: leveraging resources and partnerships to create environmental benefits that endure long after any single project is completed.
That philosophy of creating lasting impact through strategic investment is also evident in Lirio’s philanthropy.
Lirio has steadily increased her philanthropic investment in the Forest over the years. In late 2025, she partnered with Duke Forest staff to launch its first matching-gift campaign to encourage first-time Friends of the Duke Forest donors. The challenge generated $8,645 in community support and inspired 44 individuals to become Friends of the Duke Forest for the first time.
Following the campaign’s success, Lirio reflected on the experience that had first brought her to forestry and the role the Duke Forest played in shaping her life.
After conversations with Duke Forest staff about emerging needs, Lirio decided to deepen her investment once again. Through a new three-year pledge, she will provide funding to support academic-year student employment in the Duke Forest, restoring opportunities that were lost following university-wide budget reductions.
The gift reflects the same approach that has characterized her professional life: leveraging resources to create the greatest possible long-term impact. Rather than funding a single position outright, Lirio’s contribution will serve as matching support that can unlock additional funding sources such as federal work-study programs, faculty research support, and internship funding. In doing so, her investment will help create opportunities for more students while strengthening the educational pipeline that prepares future forest managers, researchers, and conservation leaders.
Standing in the rain among her professors and classmates more than three decades ago, Lirio could not have known exactly where her Duke Forest experience would lead. Today, her investment ensures that future students will have opportunities to build their own connections to the Forest, develop professional skills, and discover how they can contribute to the stewardship of forests and other natural resources.
The Duke Forest looks forward to welcoming its first student employee supported through Lirio’s generosity this fall. Her three-year pledge will provide six academic semesters of student employment, generating opportunities for multiple students to experience the lasting impacts of time spent in the Duke Forest.