Almost exactly one year ago, the New Hope Creek restoration projects were beginning on the ground. By December 2025, the new clear-span bridge was complete, and the in-stream barriers had been removed. However, the monitoring work to assess the impact of these projects is ongoing and will continue for years to come.
An important part of that assessment work is using drone-based LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors to track changes in geomorphology and vegetation over time. Duke Forest staff worked with the Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing (MaRRS) Lab to conduct drone flights before and after the restoration work. This summer, we are working with a Data+/Climate+ team to develop code to analyze the data.
Under the guidance of NSOE faculty member Tong Qiu and doctoral student Hanshi Chen, the team is generating analyses and visualizations that show changes in vegetation and streambank elevation as the stream recovers. While changes in stream geomorphology may take years to occur, the workflow and code developed by this Data+/Climate+ team will allow Duke Forest staff and future students to continue the analyses as we continue to collect additional LiDAR data.
The New Hope Creek restoration projects were important for improving the stream’s aquatic habitat, but it also continues to provide great opportunities for teaching, research, and experiential learning. The work of this Data+/Climate+ team is yet another example of the value of the Duke Forest as a teaching and research laboratory!