Email Newsletter from the Duke Forest Teaching and Research Laboratory at Duke University
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Diana Peña (second from the left) from the Nasher Museum of Art joined forces with Lee Anne Reilly, Maggie Heraty, and Sara Childs from the Duke Forest to lead two public tours discussing the Anthropocene. (Photo by Travis Stanley, Duke University Communications)
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Second Nature Collaboration with Duke’s Nasher Museum of Art |
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This fall, the Duke Forest and the Nasher Museum of Art engaged in a novel collaboration to present Second Nature: Photography in the Age of the Anthropocene. This important exhibition features contemporary photography from forty-five artists from across the globe to depict and examine the Anthropocene — the geological epoch in which human activity has had a marked impact on the global climate. Over a series of months, Sara Childs, Lee Anne Reilly, and Maggie Heraty from the Duke Forest came together with Nasher Museum staff Diana Peña (Director of Education and Public Programs), Julia McHugh, Ph.D. (Director of Academic Initiatives and Curator of Arts of the Americas), and Marshall Price, Ph.D. (Chief Curator and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art) to develop a cooperative program to engage the public with the exhibit through the lens of the Duke Forest.
Our teams co-created and led two public tours, engaging the community to explore the Anthropocene and its impact on our planet through guided visits to the Second Nature gallery and the Duke Forest. Additionally, the Duke Forest teamed up with the Nasher to host several Second Nature artists, some of whom traveled from abroad for the exhibition’s opening. They enjoyed brunch and a walk in the Forest before presenting their work at the museum. These jointly presented offerings touched on far-reaching subjects such as art, geology, forest management, queer ecology, and more!
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Photos from the Duke Forest and Nasher Museum of Art collaborations, including a presentation from Dan Richter, Ph.D., Professor of Soils and Forest Ecology (see first photo) at one of the Second Nature tours. (Photos by Ryan Helsel, Duke University Press, and Maggie Heraty, Duke Forest)
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This collaboration exemplifies how the Duke Forest offers a unique stage for community engagement, teaching, and research across disciplines and topics. It also illustrates how interdisciplinary collaborations spark fresh dialogue, new connections, and novel discoveries across a wide range of audiences. We look forward to more collaborations with the Nasher Museum of Art.
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Coming soon: Our annual Winter Research Tour, which we will present in early 2025, is another opportunity to engage with the Forest to learn more about our mission. Look for registration details in an upcoming e-LOG.
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Another Flourishing Year of Volunteer Programs |
At the end of September, our Stewards finished walking many miles of foot trails and roads through the Forest, acting as ambassadors to recreational visitors and reporting issues to our staff along the way. On the final Sunday of October, our Community Scientists concluded their transect visits, observing and counting reptiles and amphibians across designated sites in the Forest. In total, 83 volunteers participated in our 2024 programs (some even participated in both programs!).
Here is a snapshot of what the volunteers accomplished during their time in the Forest:
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Herpetofauna of the Duke Forest (aka the “Herp” Program)
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| Program Season | March to October 2024 — 8 months in total! | | Grand Total Volunteers | 56 community scientists | | Grand Total Transect Visits | 272 herp transect visits conducted by community scientists. | | Grand Total Herp Observations |
676 (and counting!) observations of reptiles and amphibians by community scientists, as of the end of September. We’re still processing and counting the observations from October! |
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Fun Fact: Duke Forest staff created two new herpetofauna transects this year. Thus, our community science program now consists of 8 herp transects and 8 volunteer teams, who each visit 1 transect per week. We’re steadily building up more data about the diversity of reptiles and amphibians that make their home in the Duke Forest.
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| Program Season | May to September 2024 — 5 months in total! | | Grand Total Volunteers | 34 stewards | | Grand Total Route Visits | 143 visits to foot trails and roads by Forest Stewards. | | Grand Total Reports | 86 reports submitted to the Duke Forest Staff. |
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Fun Fact: Forest Stewards visit their assigned route at least twice per month. During their visits, Stewards monitor their route for maintenance issues and report the impacts of unauthorized recreational activities (e.g., off-leash dogs, bikes on foot trails, etc.) to our staff. They also act as ambassadors for recreational visitors and spread the word about the Duke Forest’s teaching and research mission.
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As you can see, our volunteers put an incredible amount of time and energy into their duties. Our staff is beyond grateful for their dedication and care for the Duke Forest. Thank you, volunteers!
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Volunteer applications for our 2025 programs will open again in the spring. If you’re interested in getting involved, look for program announcements in the e-LOG in late January (Herp Program) and early April (Stewards Program).
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Reminder: Closure for Deer Management through December 13 |
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The Duke Forest’s 17th annual deer herd reduction hunting program commenced on Monday, September 23, 2024, and will end on Friday, December 13, 2024. During this time, the Durham, Korstian, and Blackwood Divisions are closed to public access and all recreation Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are open for normal use.
The program is suspended and the Forest is open for recreational use on Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday, November 28th and 29th.
Please read our FAQs and information about this important management operation here.
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Our small team stays busy maintaining and managing this incredible land base for teaching, research, sustainable natural resource use, and conservation. Some priorities on our field crew's list this month are:
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Mission Action and Support
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Coordinate Duke Forest staff and authorized hunters to run an effective Deer Management program.
- Regrade, repair, and add gravel to forest roads within gates 4 and 7 in the Durham Division.
- Clear culverts of leaves and debris in all divisions.
- Investigate a poaching incident in the Hillsboro Division.
- Clear a downed tree in the Blackwood Division to restore research site access for the EPA.
- Create a new soil pit in the Durham Division to enable tree root research.
- Meet with timber crew in the Dailey Division for harvest set-up and monitoring.
- Treat and/or remove invasive plants, especially Wisteria, in the Blackwood and Durham Divisions.
- Resolve issue reports submitted by our 2024 Forest Steward volunteers.
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Monitor forest roads, trails, and gates for unauthorized recreational access during the Deer Management hunt before, during, and after the workday.
- Educate unauthorized visitors about the importance of cooperating with the Forest closure for their safety and the hunt’s effectiveness.
- Maintain shelters between rentals.
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Mark your calendar: Giving Tuesday is December 3 |
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#GivingTuesday is a global movement that inspires philanthropy to organizations working to make a difference in their community. We hope you will consider supporting our mission on December 3rd by donating $50 or more to become a Friend of the Forest. Your generosity will strengthen the Duke Forest as a vibrant and rich resource for teaching, research, natural resource stewardship, and community engagement.
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Become a Friend of the Duke Forest with a $50+ gift in support of our mission! Read More
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The Duke Climate Commitment is a university-wide, impact-oriented initiative to address the climate crisis by creating sustainable and equitable solutions that place society on the path toward a resilient, flourishing, carbon-neutral world. Through education, research, external engagement and campus operations, the Duke Climate Commitment seeks to imagine, design and implement a sustainable future for all.
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Duke University Box 90332 | Durham, NC 27708 US
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