Duke Farms

A new paper in the business journal?Amplify?summarizes Duke Farms’ efforts to restore biodiversity and cut greenhouse gas emissions across our beautiful 2,700 acres. The approach we have pioneered at Duke Farms is applicable to a wide range of other campuses and communities, and we want to help equip other professionals to lead their own “nature positive, carbon negative” journeys across New Jersey and around the world. The article, by?Margaret Waldock, Jon Wagar, and David Jeffrey Ringer is full of practical advice and steps that others can take wherever they are. If this approach resonates with you or you’d like to learn more, please get in touch with us!?

A rare sighting with a powerful message—last week, our team spotted a bobcat at Duke Farms, a testament to decades of conservation work. Restoring habitats and protecting wildlife corridors is making a real impact. This is why we do what we do. ????

Duke Farms is thrilled to welcome Hila Shamon, Ph.D., as our new Deputy Executive Director of Science and Conservation. In this role, Hila will lead efforts to restore ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and implement sustainable land and wildlife management strategies that serve as a model for conservation in a changing world. Her work will support the Doris Duke Foundation’s efforts to advance ideas that foster a creative, equitable, and sustainable future. With over 18 years of experience, Hila is a seasoned leader in place-based conservation and rewilding initiatives. Her extensive work has focused on the impact of land use, land cover changes, and climate change on ecosystems, making her a transformative addition to our team. Before joining Duke Farms, Hila directed the Smithsonian’s Great Plains Science Program at the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, where she designed and led interdisciplinary research on species recovery, large-scale grassland conservation, and applied ecology. Hila holds a Ph.D. and Master of Science in Zoology from Tel Aviv University and a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences from Tel Hai College, Israel. She has held faculty affiliations with George Mason University, Clemson University, and Montana State University, mentoring graduate students and contributing to education. An engaging communicator of scientific insights, Hila has shared her expertise with diverse audiences through prominent platforms such as PBS, the BBC, and the Smithsonian. Her extensive body of work includes over thirty peer-reviewed papers on topics like the impacts of climate change on mammal communities and the diversity of grassland birds, reflecting her passion for using science to inform, educate, and inspire.

Passionate about nature, climate change, and inspiring change? Duke Farms is hiring for several roles that offer unique opportunities to be a part of our mission.

We're so fortunate to be a part of the conservation efforts leading to the resurgence of the bald eagle, but there's still work to do! Read more in this article from our Executive Director Margaret Waldock ?? ??

We're #hiring a new Seasonal Educator in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Registration for 2025 Master Ecologist is open! This is an immersive and accelerated learning experience that utilizes the diverse habitats at Duke Farms as a living laboratory to explore ecological principles, management strategies and conservation practices. https://lnkd.in/dvsH3gc9

Join the Pinelands Preservation Alliance at Duke Farms on December 11, 2024, for a day dedicated to discussing ways to create accessible and inclusive outdoors spaces for all! Register by December 1: https://lnkd.in/eWRnbi8i #Nature #PeoplewithDisabilities #AccessibleNature

Recently, BPU President Guhl-Sadovy visited Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ recently, where they received a $296,000 award through New Jersey’s Clean Fleet Program. This funding will support the purchase of 16 Level 2 EV chargers and an electric vehicle, helping them further reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainability. It’s inspiring to see how initiatives like this are making a real difference in our state’s transition to a greener future. Thank you to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Chief Strategy Officer Kati Angarone and Duke Farms President Margaret Waldock for joining us! Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/e46sBtft #DriveElectricWeek

This year, I had the opportunity to speak at two significant events focused on advancing sustainability in historic preservation. At both the AIA 2024 Taliesin West Colloquium – Adaptation in Preservation: Concepts, Contrasts, and Collaboration and the 1772 Foundation’s Climate and Heritage Conservation panel at PastForward, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2024 National Preservation Conference, we explored the dynamic balance of preserving the built environment while actively contributing to a sustainable future. Duke Farms, a Center of the Doris Duke Foundation, exemplifies this approach with strategic pillars that prioritize restoring nature, demonstrating climate solutions, and engaging leaders. At Duke Farms, we are adaptively reusing historic buildings—creating spaces that honor the past while driving forward our mission for a more creative, equitable, and sustainable future. Through thoughtful integration of sustainable design with regenerative practices across our landscapes, we demonstrate that legacy properties can serve as living models of a “carbon negative, nature positive” vision. Since its inception, Duke Farms has transformed into a sustainable campus, rapidly reducing fossil fuel reliance across our operations. In 2024, we expanded this vision with a solar array and battery storage system that supplies 100% clean energy, enabling a fossil-fuel-free operation. Our approach includes carbon sequestration through forest and wetland management, regenerative agriculture, and other nature-based solutions across our 2,700 acres. These two events allowed me to share our commitment to adaptive reuse and sustainable land stewardship as essential components of a thriving, resilient campus. Duke Farms is proud to demonstrate how a property with deep historic roots can lead the way in creating campuses that set an inspiring standard for a carbon negative, nature positive future. #Sustainability #ClimateAction #HistoricPreservation #BuiltEnvironment #DukeFarms #AdaptiveReuse #CarbonNegative #NaturePositive #AIA #1772Foundation #Conservation #ClimateLeadership