New Hope Creek Restoration: A Community Effort New Hope Creek is the lifeblood of the Duke Forest’s Korstian Division and a vital tributary to Jordan Lake, a drinking water source for our region. Currently, the creek is the focus of a three-phase restoration effort that is as much about people… Read More
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… Read More
This summer, we had the pleasure of hosting Chloe, a Durham resident and undergraduate student at Brown University, as our intern. Chloe is a Presidential Scholar at Brown, a program designed for high-achieving, creative students to foster intellectual curiosity through research, leadership, and community engagement. She came to us by… Read More
The North Carolina Master Naturalists Program, run through N.C. Cooperative Extension, provides opportunities for community members to learn about and contribute to conservation and stewardship. Adult students across a wide range of ages and with varied professional backgrounds apply to the year-long Master Naturalists program and form a cohort that… Read More
Two and a half months into the New Hope Creek Restoration Project, the new clear-span bridge is taking shape! Our partners at Sanford Contractors drilled and poured the primary concrete support pillars that are fixed to the bedrock beneath the floodplain. They also formed and poured the “end bents,” which… Read More
The week before classes started, the Duke Forest hosted three First-Year Experiential Orientation groups. Before these new Duke students arrive on campus, they choose from dozens of orientation options based on their interests and passions. This year, the Duke Forest hosted Project Global, Project Herd, and Project Earth, which all… Read More
Written by: Sara Childs, Executive Director of the Duke Forest I had never been to the Adirondacks, and I knew nothing of its history – not the cultural, ecological, or geological. I was wowed by all of it. My very first stop on the trip, before arriving at Paul Smith’s… Read More
This summer, the Duke Forest hosted two programs designed to spark curiosity and connect young learners with nature. From welcoming summer campers displaced by flood damage to hosting families for story time and hands-on exploration, the Forest continues to serve as a living classroom where imagination, discovery, and stewardship take… Read More
Employees from Google’s Durham office recently joined several Duke Forest Staff and Forest Steward volunteers for a service event as part of their global “GoogleServe” campaign. The group learned how to identify non-native Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) and spent a hot couple of hours combing through the forest, cutting out… Read More
The newly-formed Triangle Mycological Society (TMS) recently hosted a Fungal Foray in the Duke Forest. Foraging for and collecting mushrooms (or anything!) in the Forest is strictly prohibited. However, under the guidance of Rytas Vilgalys, Duke Professor of Biology, who holds a current research registration approval through the Office of… Read More
