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Outdoors, Out Your Window or Online

Duke Gardens supports relationships among people and plants. In this time of physical distancing, we can still connect with each other and the world around us. We created this page during our temporarily closure. Now that we are open again (info here), we will update this page to share ways to learn, relax, and connect with the human and beyond-human members of our community, whether we go for a walk, observe the world outside our windows, notice what and who sustain us at home, or tap into virtual networks.

We wish our entire community physical and mental health, and we welcome suggestions of resources we can provide. Please contact us at GardensEducation@duke.edu.

Every month we send out an email newsletter highlighting new resources for a variety of interests and audiences! Join by emailing GardensEducation@duke.edu with the subject "join programs listserv." Follow us on social media for even more updates.

 

Audio & Video Collections

Videos created by Duke Gardens staff

Videos by Outdoor Afro, who celebrate & inspire Black leadership in nature

Plant Power: The Power of Plants in a Changing Climate, a podcast from the N.C. Botanical Garden

Webcams in Beaufort, N.C., from the Duke Marine Lab

Webcams around the United States from the U.S. Geological Survey

Live cams of bird nests and feeders from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Home Gardening Resources

Garden Talk columns by Duke Gardens staff

N.C. Extension Gardener Handbook

Vegetable Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide from the N.C. Extension Agency

Pollinator Plants: Mid-Atlantic Region (pdf) from the Xerces Society

N.C. State Extension Gardening Resources

Stuck at Home, Not Stuck Inside from the North Carolina Botanical Garden

Learn about the Indigenous peoples connected to this land

Duke Gardens is grateful for the work Quinn Smith did in creating a Land Acknowledgement as part of his Equity Through Stories project. Currently, we are sharing the Land Acknowledgement generously provided to Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment by Drs. Ryan Emanuel and Malinda Lowery of the Lumbee tribe, to use until Duke University completes the process of working with tribe members statewide to come to agreement on a Duke-wide land acknowledgement. Learn more about the need for deeper action here.

“What is now Durham was originally the territory of several Native nations, including Tutelo (TOO-tee-lo) and Saponi (suh-POE-nee) – speaking peoples.  Many of their communities were displaced or killed through war, disease, and colonial expansion.  Today, the Triangle is surrounded by contemporary Native nations, the descendants of Tutelo, Saponi, and other Indigenous peoples who survived early colonization.  These nations include the Haliwa-Saponi (HALL-i-wa suh-POE-nee), Sappony (suh-POE-nee), and Occaneechi (oh-kuh-NEE-chee) Band of Saponi.  North Carolina’s Research Triangle is also home to a thriving urban Native American community who represent Native nations from across the United States. Together, these Indigenous nations and communities contribute to North Carolina’s ranking as the state with the largest Native American population east of Oklahoma.”

 

About NC Native Communities from the American Indian Center at UNC-Chapel Hill

The NC Native Ethnobotany Project

The Unacknowledged History of the Land Beneath Our Boots from Blue Ridge Outdoors

Listen & Learn: Black nature enthusiasts

There are many wonderful Black environmental educators and researchers sharing their knowledge and experiences online. We're creating an ever-growing list of people we like to learn from on our Black in Nature page.

Children & Family Activities **Algunas actividades disponibles en español

Explore with Duke Gardens

STEAM Challenge Bingo
Challenge yourself to go full STEAM ahead learning about the world around you using science, technology, engineering, art and math with the Duke Gardens STEAM Challenge from April 22-May 2 as part of Triangle Learning Days.  

Winter Fun at Home
The seasons are changing, and the world outside is very different than other times of year. What’s going on during winter? Let’s bundle up, explore and find out!  

Animal Migration
As the seasons change, some animals need to travel to follow the food, temperature, shelter, or other living conditions they need to survive. Learn about some of these amazing migratory animals!

Explore Water
Every living thing needs water to survive! Learn more about this liquid with three activities that engage your senses through art and science.

**Explore el Agua
¡Todo ser vivo necesita agua para sobrevivir! Aprende más acerca este líquido con tres actividades que enganchan sus sentidos a través del arte y la ciencia.

Camouflage
Learn about the animals that are Masters of Disguise.

**Camuflaje
Aprende sobre los animales que son Maestros del Disfraz.

Painting with Soil
Be an artist and a scientist by collecting soil samples to create your own paint!
Written directions  |  Video with directions and more fun activities

**Pintar con Tierra
¡Sé un artista y un científico recogiendo muestras de tierra para crear tu propia pintura!
Instrucciones escritas  |  Un video con instrucciones y más información (con subtítulos en español)

Whistling with Grass
Be a musician and a scientist with this activity.
Written guide  |  Video with directions

**Silbar con Hierba
Sé músico y científico con esta actividad.
Instrucciones escritas  |  Un video con instrucciones (video solo en inglés)

Mothing
Discover the moths that live around your home!
Written guide

Meet a Plant
Learn about comon plants. Go on your own plant adventure with these guides for learning, exploring and crafts.
- Rose
- Dandelion
- Grass

**Conoce una Planta
Aprenda sobre plantas comunes. Embárcate en tu propia aventura con las plantas con estas guías para aprender, explorar y hacer manualidades.
- Rosa
- Diente de León
- Hierba

Summer Fun at Home
We will miss our time together in Duke Gardens with campers this year, but thanks to your interest and feedback we are creating materials for families to enjoy at home. 

Ways to Learn, Explore and Play Inspired by Nature
Save and revisit this collection of quick, engaging and adaptable ideas for families.

Nature Navigators Journals
These outdoor exploration booklets are part of our homeschool student certificate, but they can be used by anyone. Feel free to change the directions to fit your situation. Available for 4- to 5-year-olds6- to 8-year-olds and 9- to 12-year-olds.

More explorations from our neighbors

Life and Science at Home from the Museum of Life + Science
Every day, the Museum of Life + Science will share digital content to provide you with engaging ways to learn, ask questions, and discover life and science in exciting new ways.

**Vida y Ciencias en casa por el Museo de Vida y Ciencias
Todos los días, el Museo de Vida y Ciencias compartirán contenido digital para proporcionarle formas interactivas de aprender, hacer preguntas y descubrir la vida y la ciencia de maneras nuevas y emocionantes.

SmokiEEEs at Home from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Learn online and outside with Park Ranger-led adventures, activities and resources for students of all ages.

Activity videos and more from Outdoor Afro
Outdoor Afro is a national network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature.

Make a Mini-zine from Plant Heroes
A zine is a Do-It-Yourself publication that can be made and shared by anyone. Today, we invite you to make a zine about "the story of a bug!"

**Crea una zine con Plant Heroes
Zine (voz inglesa) es una publicación casera que todxs podemos crear y compartir. ¡Hoy te invitamos a crear una zine sobre “la historia de un insecto!”

**与Plant Heroes 一起制作 小杂志
小杂志是指自己手工制作 (D.I.Y.)的小型杂志,任何人 都可以制作和分享。今天,我们想邀请你制作一份小杂志,主题是《昆虫 的故事》!

STEM at Home for Families from NASA
These science, technology, engineering and math activities are fun for kids, adults and the whole family.

Art Activities for Families from the Nasher Museum of Art
These art activities and lesson plans can be used by parents or teachers, and feature suggestions for careful looking, guided conversation, and further work inspired by select works of art.

Local Storytellers on Instagram
Follow @theliberationstation (Tues.+Thurs. storytime on IGTV) and @storytimedurham for kid-focused stories & songs.

Stuck at Home, Not Stuck Inside from the North Carolina Botanical Garden
NCBG has compiled a list of activities to help you still get your Vitamin N (nature), even if you are confined to your home.

Community Science Projects

Become a Triangle Explorer through the Triangle Land Conservancy
The Triangle Explorer Challenge is an opportunity to get kids outside and learning in fun and engaging ways through conducting science experiments, exploring nature, and creating works of art.

How To Go on a Turtle Trek from Piedmont Wildlife Center
Learn how you can become part of PWC's citizen science project, Triangle Turtle Trekkers!

NYBG Steere Herbarium digitazation
You can contribute to scientific research from anywhere by helping botanists interpret herbarium specimens.

SciStarter
SciStarter is the place to find, join, and contribute to science through providing people access to more than 2,700 searchable formal and informal research projects and events.

Zooniverse
The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research.

Bumble Bee Watch
Bumble Bee Watch is a collaborative effort to track and conserve North America’s bumble bees.

EarthEcho Water Challenge
The EarthEcho Water Challenge builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local bodies of water.​

eBird
eBird data document bird distribution, abundance, habitat use and trends through checklist data collected within a simple scientific framework.

ecoEXPLORE
ecoEXPLORE, for children in grades K-8, combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to foster a fun learning environment for children while encouraging them to explore the outdoors and participate in citizen science.

FoldIt
Foldit is a revolutionary crowdsourcing computer game enabling you to contribute to important scientific research by taking advantage of humans' puzzle-solving intuitions and having people play competitively to fold the best proteins.

GLOBE Observer
Your observations help scientists track changes in clouds, water, plants and other life in support of climate research. 

HerpMapper
HerpMapper gathers and shares information about reptile and amphibian observations across the planet.

iNaturalist
iNaturalist.org is a place where you can record what you see in nature, meet other nature lovers, and learn about the natural world. 

ISeeChange
ISeeChange is dedicated to empowering communities to document and understand their environment, weather and climate in order to increase resilience.

Nature's Notebook
Nature's Notebook gathers information on plant and animal phenology across the U.S. to be used for decision-making on local, national and global scales to ensure the continued vitality of our environment.

Project BudBurst
This network of citizen scientists tracks changes in plant seasons to assist scientists studying climate.

Durham Community Resources

Where to Buy Local While Social Distancing from the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
More than 150 farms across North and South Carolina have added on-farm pickups, home delivery & online pre-orders to accommodate for social distancing in light of the COVID-19 outbreak

Welcome Baby
Welcome Baby provides accurate child development information and emotional and practical support, including remote resources and virtual classes.

Community Resources to Support Families During COVID-19 from NC Cooperative Extension
The Durham County Extension Center has compiled a list of resources connecting people with food, healthcare, computer & internet, public school assistance, and financial & emergency.