DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Forest will mark its 75th anniversary with a reception and awards ceremony, forest tours and a research symposium on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 19 – 20.  All events are free and open to the public.

Anniversary activities will also include the release of the new book, “The Duke Forest at 75: A Resource for All Season.” The book chronicles the rich natural and cultural history of the Forest and provides an in-depth look at the groundbreaking roles it has played over the years as a research hub, outdoor classroom, working forest, recreational resource and historic site.

“We hope all friends of Duke Forest will join us for these special events, as we look back at the Forest’s first 75 years and begin to make plans for the next 75,” said Judson Edeburn, forest manager.

The two-day celebration kicks off with a reception, the release of the new book, and a free public lecture and awards ceremony from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 19, in Von Canon Hall at the Bryan Center on 91’s West Campus. 

Among the highlights of the evening, representatives of the national Forest Stewardship Council will present Duke Forest with certification as a sustainable resource, and Norman L. Christensen, professor of ecology and founding dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, will present a talk, “A History of Research at the Duke Forest.”

The evening will conclude with the awarding of the 2006 Clarence F. Korstian Award to Jeffrey S. Pippen, a research associate at the Nicholas School.  The Korstian Award is given annually in appreciation and recognition of exemplary support of Duke Forest.

The two-day celebration will continue on Oct. 20 with a research symposium from 8:30 a.m. to noon in Von Canon Hall. It will feature seven presentations by scientists and forest landscape experts on the vital role Duke Forest has played in forestry and environmental research over the years.  Nicholas School faculty members slated to take part include Dean William H. Schlesinger; Emily Bernhardt, assistant professor of biology; Dean Urban, professor of landscape ecology; and Christensen.

The anniversary celebration will conclude with tours of the Forest itself, led by Edeburn, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.  Tour participants will visit five research stations in the Forest and learn about the pioneering research being conducted there by 91 faculty and students. 

Among the members of the Nicholas School slated to take part in the tours are Daniel D. Richter Jr., professor of soils and forest ecology; James S. Clark, H.L. Blomquist Professor of Biology and Michele Hersh and David Bell from his lab; Heather McCarthy and Jeffrey Pippen from Ram Oren’s lab; and Sally Thompson, from Gabriel Katul’s lab.    

Advance registration is required for the tours.

For more information, or to register for the tours, contact the Duke Forest office atdukeforest@duke.edu or 9919) 613-8013, or visit the Forest’s Web site at.