Recommended Resources

Look for sculptures, bridges, fountains, etc.

Some scientists collect data just like you do when you visit your sit spot and make observations. People use research to learn many different things, and it can provide useful information to communities. Sometimes researchers need community members to help them do their research. This is a chance for you to record your observations and help researchers!

iNaturalist.org is a place where you can record what you see in nature, meet other nature lovers, and learn about the natural world. Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share your findings with scientific data repositories such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.

Indigenous people are as present today as ever before, and we carry with us the knowledge that our ancestors have known for millennia and fought to hold on to amid genocide. This documentary explores Indigenous land relationships throughout North Carolina featuring Vickie Jefferies (Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation), Stands Among Elk (Meherrin Nation), and John Blackfeather (Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation).

Vickie Jefferies will speak about respectful harvesting practices and medicinal uses for plants from her own perspective as an Indigenous herbalist. Vickie will also talk about her prominent pine needle basketwork. Stands Among Elk wil relate powerful, magical, and whimsical stories about the Meherrin’s relationships with the natural world. These stories include “how the birds got their song” and “how the Creator taught all the medicines.” John Blackfeather will talk about navigating life as an Indigenous person in 1940s Hillsborough, NC. This was when John formed his strong relationship with the natural world. John insists that we must listen to nature because it speaks to us.

There is a lot of incorrect information about Indigneous people due to incomplete schooling and poor representations in the media. In Righting our Relations, Roo (Catawba Nation) rejects this misinformation and provides an accurate depiction of Indigneous people and their land relationships.

In the process of correcting our narratives about Indigneous people, Roo elaborates on a variety of topics pertaining to Indigenous land relationships. Roo talks about Indigneous agricultural practices in the modern era, the importance of traditional fire practices, and much more. To conclude, Roo proposes a path toward a more equitable future by describing how we can live in better relation with the land and with Indigenous people.

The Unacknowledged History of the Land Beneath Our Boots 

Whose land are we hiking, biking, climbing, and paddling on? When it comes to the history of public lands and conservation in this country, the Indigenous Peoples who once occupied those land are often left out of the conversation. Now, several mapping and preservation projects are telling a deeper story of the places where we play.

In 2019, scientists learned about 102 new species of plants and 8 species of fungi. Scientists think that some of the new species may help provide us with new food, materials or medicines. Many of the newly named plants and fungi only live in small areas and are close to extinction. Scientists hope that learning more about them will help their survival.

Jason Ward is an ornithologist, science communicator and naturalist.

Jordan Veasley is a wildlife educator, former zookeeper, conservationist and public speaker.

Discover and celebrate all the talents that you, your family, and the rest of your community have! Your community is all the people, living and non-living things that support you.

Can you guess what is in each picture? Can you find what you see here—or something similar—in the garden?

Today you are going to do a survey of everything in a 1-foot square of land in your sit spot.

The food we enjoy and share can be an important part of our heritage. Making food can be a fun way to connect with other people in our family and community.

All living things need to get energy in order to live – people eat food. Where does your food come from?

A map is a diagram that represents an area of land or sea on a small scale. Maps can show the entire earth or just a small part in great detail. They give information in a simple visual way. They show what’s in an area, and where things are in an area using symbols. They help you organize information.

Spend 10 minutes in the garden.

Meditate with us for 4 minutes.

Cultivate equanimity with Gigi Falk.

Meditate with Kayla Falk.

Rejoice in your body with Kayla Falk.

A 9-minute audio meditation by Gigi Falk.

This is a 5-minute guided meditation by Sheridan Wilbur from spring 2020, accompanied by photos of Duke Gardens taken by Duke students over the years.

Here is a 16-minute meditation led by Gigi Falk in summer 2020, featuring peaceful footage of koi fish in the Terrace Gardens pond.

Awareness meditation with Kayla Falk.

Here is a 7-minute meditation with Duke student and Duke Gardens work-study assistant Gi Chun, accompanied by Duke Gardens scenery.

Dandelions are herbs that first grew in Eurasia. Where plants first grow is often referred to as their native location. Europeans brought dandelions with them as they traveled and colonized the world and dandelions now grow in many temperate regions. A temperate region is an area with a mild climate.

Los dientes de león son hierbas que crecieron primero en Eurasia. Donde las plantas crecen primero, a menudo se denomina ubicación nativa. Los europeos trajeron dientes de león con ellos a medida que viajaban y colonizaban el mundo y los dientes de león ahora crecen en muchas regiones templadas. Una región templada es un área con un clima templado.

Did you know that grass has flowers? The grass family is one of the largest families of flowering plants. The scientific name for the grass family is the Poaceae family. There are more than 10,000 named species of grass in the world.

¿Sabías que la gramíneas (el césped) tiene flores? La familia de las gramíneas, o gramíneas es una de las familias más grandes de plantas con flores. El nombre científico de la familia de las gramíneas es la familia Poaceae. Hay más de 10,000 especies de gramíneas en el mundo.

Get to know this common plant that grows in many places!

¡Llegar a conocer esta planta común que crece en muchos lugares!

If you’ve ever wondered, “What is that bird?” let Merlin help you unlock the mystery. Merlin asks you a few simple questions about your observation and taps into eBird, a database with millions of sightings from birders around the world, to find out what species you’re most likely to encounter. Browse Merlin’s short list of photos to find your match. Listen to sounds, learn more about where the species lives, tell your friends about your new bird, then go find another bird to identify.

Discover the moths that live around your home!