North Carolina’s pine forests have set the stage for pioneering foresters for generations. Just a few weeks ago, the Nicholas School of the Environment hosted a 75th Celebration of Forestry Education at Duke.
But Duke Forest already celebrated its 75th anniversary back in 2006.
It can be tricky to disentangle the history of Duke Forest itself from the history of Duke’s School of Forestry, an ancestor of today’s Nicholas School of the Environment: The first director of Duke Forest, Dr. Clarence Korstian, was also the first dean of the School of Forestry. To learn more about the evolution of Duke Forest and all the resources it provides, we caught up with the current Director, Sara DiBacco Childs.
In her address to the attendees of the Forestry Education Celebration on October 16, 2015, Childs shared some of the historical scientific contributions that have come from the Duke Forest, as well as present-day discoveries: Early foresters made strides in understanding old-field succession, while current researchers are learning how forests respond to elevated carbon levels. Childs also emphasized that the Forest is for much more than academics. “The Duke Forest is a university-wide asset much like the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. It protects important natural resources while also providing the community with a variety of benefits – the most well-known is probably the aesthetic and recreation amenity it offers. Since 1931, the graveled roads and dirt foot trails have welcomed visitors for hiking, bird watching, picnicking, and much more,” explains Childs.
The Forest provides an outlet to engage members of the broader Duke and Durham community in learning about natural resource management. DEL Exec Ed students experience the Forest’s tremendous value in our Executive Education course “Timberland Investments for Professionals,” which includes a field trip to Duke Forest for demonstrations of forest measurement techniques. Registration is now open for the next Timberland Investments course, which will take place April 26-27, 2016. You won’t want to miss out on the chance to learn about global timber-market opportunities and trends against the backdrop of our very own historic forest.
The Duke Forest website and the annual newsletter, The LOG, provide more information on upcoming events and ongoing research, all of which promotes the Forest’s mission to facilitate research in addition to supporting education and community outreach. The upcoming Annual Research Tour is a great opportunity for first-time visitors to learn about the innovative projects that are currently underway. In the words of Director Sara Childs, “The Duke Forest is everyone’s asset.”
written by Laura Marie Davis, MEM ’17