Category: Biodiversity

Sustainability in Action

Elder Oak shading young trees in pots waiting to be planted

Saturday, April 12th was a big day for DA Sustainability! After months of mulching and prep work, the whole school was invited to help plant a half acre of trees, shrubs, grasses, and other plants. We began by spreading out topsoil for the garden beds. The weather was cool and cloudy, and there was lots …

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Hands in the soil, faces turned toward the future

Young child, adults, and high school student planting in close proximity to each other

Groundbreaking on the Elder Oak Commons Editor’s note: On Saturday, April 12, eighteen volunteers from the DA community were joined by landscape designer Preston Montague and Extension Master Gardener student Kevin Westfield to plant five hundred shrubs, trees, grasses and other native plants at the corner of Pickett and Ridge Rds. This work began the …

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Students Speak at Public Hearing about Development on Pickett Road

Students address Durham Planning Commission

By Evan Register ’25 and Angus Cook ’25 Editor’s Note: The authors made a statement at the November 12 Planning Commission hearing about a proposed apartment complex across Pickett Road from Durham Academy Upper School. Also speaking for DA were Adam Braude, CFOO; Marty Walkowe, Associate Director of Security; Andrea Caruso, Environmental Science Teacher and …

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Repelling an Invasion

On September 21, 2024, the Upper School Sustainability Committee waged its second attack on Tree of Heaven in some forested property that the school owns on the west side of Ridge Rd. This effort was the continuation of an invasive species removal event that took place last fall. Our target, Tree of Heaven, is native …

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Attack on Tree of Heaven

Students and parents attack Tree of Heaven

On October 1st, DA sustainability committee members, DA faculty members, parents, and experts came together to fight a common enemy: Tree of Heaven. It’s an invasive species from China that is spreading in east coast forests at an alarming rate. Another reason this tree is a problem is that it harbors the spotted lantern fly, …

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Biodiversity and Undeveloped Land

Student measuring tree trunk

By Paul Wang and Merritt Schulz Why does Biodiversity matter? What is it?  Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our local environment. Biodiversity matters to us. We are all interconnected. A single species interacts with …

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