Duke Forest

Join us for our second annual New Hope Creek Biodiversity Day — a celebration of the unique flora and fauna that call New Hope Creek home!

This event will feature interactive presentations led by experts from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) on the topics of aquatic wildlife, mammals, and habitat connectivity. The WRC and the Duke Forest regularly collaborate with the shared goal of “keeping common species common,” and this day honors that work! Duke Forest staff will also highlight recent restoration projects and their benefits for wildlife and the health of New Hope Creek.

Register here: https://dukeforest.duke.edu/events/new-hope-creek-biodiversity-day-2/

Pictures are from last year's New Hope Creek Biodiversity Day where speakers educated attendees on mussels, fungi, plants, and birds!

BEGINNING TODAY: Forest Closure for Deer Management thru Dec. 11

The 19th annual deer herd reduction program on the Duke Forest has commenced today, Monday, September 21, 2026, and will end on Friday, December 11, 2026. During this time, the Durham, Korstian, and Blackwood Divisions will be closed to public access and all recreation Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays will be open for normal use.

This closure is for your safety and for the effectiveness of our deer herd reduction hunt, a critical operation for ecosystem health.

Read more information and FAQs on our website: https://dukeforest.duke.edu/DMAP

🌻 A splash of late-summer color at New Hope Creek!

If you’ve visited the new Concrete Bridge recently, you may have noticed these beautiful tickseed sunflowers blooming along both sides of the creek.

These wildflowers, along with grasses that were more prominent earlier this season, were planted after the New Hope Creek Restoration Projects were completed. Their roots help stabilize the recently disturbed streambanks, reduce erosion, and create better conditions for newly planted trees and shrubs to take root and grow.

The bright yellow blooms belong to Bidens aristosa, commonly known as swamp marigold or tickseed sunflower. This native wildflower thrives in moist to wet soils, making the creek banks an ideal place for it to grow.

If you’re visiting the Forest this fall, take a moment to admire these beautiful blooms while they last!

📸:

The commercial thinning operation at Gate 12 of the Durham Division is expanding into a nearby stand, broadening the closure area to accommodate heavy equipment and ensure the safety of visitors and logging personnel. Swipe for the closure map 🗺️

Beginning today, recreational access to Gate 11-12 Road is only available via Gate 11. Gate 11-12 Road is temporarily closed north of the intersection with Couch Mountain Road. The detour previously in place via the connecting foot trail inside Gate F is closed. However, access to the Rigsbee Shelter remains open via Gate F for approved shelter uses.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we carry out these forest stewardship activities. These commercial thinning operations are an important component of long-term forest management, helping to improve forest health, promote stand resilience, and support the Duke Forest’s missions of teaching, research, and stewardship.

For Danielle Kittredge, volunteering in the Duke Forest is an opportunity to keep learning about the natural world, one salamander, wildflower, bird, mushroom, and macroinvertebrate at a time.

Danielle is in her second year volunteering with the Duke Forest H**petofauna Program, where she helps survey reptiles and amphibians across the Forest. After moving to North Carolina in 2021, she became increasingly interested in the state’s flora, fauna, and ecosystems. She completed the NC Cooperative Extension Master Naturalist Volunteer Program in 2024, then joined the Duke Forest H**p Program in 2025.

Salamanders and newts have quickly become some of her favorite finds. Eastern Newts and Southern Two-lined Salamanders have been highlights of the year so far. Her transect visits also offer plenty of opportunities to learn beyond h**petofauna, with time spent identifying birds, mushrooms, and native wildflowers along the way.

Danielle’s involvement in the Duke Forest doesn’t stop at h**p surveys. She also helps monitor aquatic macroinvertebrates in New Hope Creek, documenting changes following the removal of the concrete bridge and Billy Erwin Dam. Those monthly mornings on the creek have become a favorite way to start the day before heading to her office job.

A statewide planner working on bicycle, pedestrian, and transit projects, Danielle brings a unique perspective to her volunteer work. Her background includes degrees in urban studies, history of art and architecture, and geography, as well as a PhD in geoscience. She is also pursuing an Advanced Native Plant Certificate through the NC Botanical Garden and volunteers with the NC Native Plant Society.

We’re grateful for volunteers like Danielle who bring their curiosity, expertise, and enthusiasm to the Duke Forest and continue to discover new ways to connect with and care for the Forest. 🦎🌱

Seventh graders from the BOOST Science Scholars program recently visited the Duke Forest to explore STEM careers in their community. At our New Hope Creek restoration site, students learned how diverse careers and expertise came together to transform the creek and reconnect aquatic habitat.

They also got hands-on experience conducting macroinvertebrate surveys, a tool used to monitor stream health. We hope their time in the Forest inspires curiosity, connection, and an interest in conservation-centered careers!

The Duke Forest is hiring a Forest Technician who wants to spend their days in the woods putting forestry and natural resource management into practice. Working across 7,100 acres in Durham, Orange, and Alamance counties, this field-based position will lead timber management activities, invasive species control, conservation area monitoring, trail maintenance, and GPS/GIS work, while also supporting prescribed fire, storm response, research projects, volunteer workdays, and intern mentorship. It’s an opportunity to work across a diverse landscape, build practical forestry skills, and contribute to the stewardship of a living teaching and research laboratory.

Share this post with someone who may be interested! The full job description and information on how to apply can be found on our website: https://dukeforest.duke.edu/home/our-team/jobs/

Temporary Road and Trail Closures in the Durham Division

The commercial thinning operation in the Durham Division is transitioning to its final of three sites. To accommodate heavy equipment and ensure the safety of visitors and logging personnel, Gate 12 will be closed to all vehicles and recreational access beginning tomorrow. Swipe for the closure map 🗺️

Recreational access to Gate 11-12 Road can be made via Gate 11 and a detour through Gate F and the connecting foot trail, by foot only. Bike access must be made via Gate 11.

Closures are occurring in phases as work progresses:
- Thinning inside Gates 10 and 13 is nearing completion and will be reopened once all heavy equipment and personnel transition to the next site.
- Beginning Tuesday, September 1: Gate 12 will be closed to all vehicles and recreational access.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we carry out these forest stewardship activities. These commercial thinning operations are an important component of long-term forest management, helping to improve forest health, promote stand resilience, and support the Duke Forest’s missions of teaching, research, and stewardship.

This summer, former Duke Forest staff member Maggie Heraty returned to our team as a Forest Restoration Intern to study the impacts of the New Hope Creek Restoration Projects. Through hands-on monitoring of stream conditions, sediment, aquatic life, and habitat, Maggie helped establish a baseline for understanding how the creek is responding to the removal of in-stream barriers.

Her internship, made possible by the New Hope Creek Teaching and Research Fund, also provided opportunities to explore future restoration projects and build skills for a career in land stewardship.

Read Maggie's full summer internship reflection: https://dukeforest.duke.edu/2026/08/18/forest-restoration-internship-summer-reflection/