On Tuesday, Dec. 16, a ribbon-cutting celebration marked the opening of a new bridge over New Hope Creek in Duke Forest.
The removal and replacement of the old concrete bridge, built by the Conservation Corps in the 1930s, restores natural flow conditions, improves aquatic habitat, and reduces streambank erosion. While it was the only structure that provided official passage across the creek for forest management vehicles, emergency vehicles, and recreational visitors, it failed to consistently provide this function depending on flow conditions.
“This bridge… carries nearly a century of collaboration: between faculty and students, between classroom and field site, between past and future,” said Stanback Dean Lori Bennear of the Nicholas School. “It stands as a reminder that the Forest has never been just scenery—it is an engine of discovery and a training ground for the next generation of environmental leaders.”
The idea to replace the old bridge was conceived of and facilitated by numerous Nicholas School master’s students in collaboration with Duke Forest staff and private contractors.
Working with the Triangle Land Conservancy, the Duke Forest secured a grant from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund. A leadership-level gift from Brad and Shelli Stanback, along with significant donations from Alston Gardner and Adam and Rosalind Abram, helped the team reach the $2 million threshold to begin the projects. Additional support from Tim and Lori Rowe was earmarked to create the NHC Teaching and Research Fund to leverage this pivotal moment in the Forest’s history in service to its mission as teaching and research laboratory.
