The Duke Forest is 7,000+ acres of mostly forested land owned and managed by Duke University as a teaching and research laboratory. Established in 1931, our mission is to facilitate research that addresses fundamental and applied questions across a variety of disciplines and to aid in the instruction of all students in their pursuit of knowledge, especially regarding the stewardship of our natural resources. Management of the Forest is guided by a comprehensive plan that promotes the Forest’s academic mission while ensuring the protection of its natural resources.

The Duke Forest also provides education and outreach through tours and volunteer events and serves as an outdoor recreation destination for the local community. Duke Forest Phenology in Chapel Hill, NC is engaging the broader public community with the Duke Forest Teaching and Research Laboratory through science-based initiatives. We are working on a citizen science program for monitoring herpetofauna on the Duke Forest and are now creating a program for monitoring spring phenophases for three common Duke Forest trees. We plan to use the functionality and resources provided by Nature's Notebook to structure our program.