The Eno River was named after an Indigenous tribe known as the Haynoke, Oenoke, or Enoe Indians. The Eno River Association, Eno River State Park, Panther Branch Natural Area, and West Point on the Eno are located on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Eno, Shakori, Sissipahaw, Occaneechi, and other people of Siouan descent, as well as their descendants, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation.
Introduction
For 60 years, the Eno River Association has worked to protect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Eno River Basin. As the organization enters a new decade, that mission continues to inspire land conservation, ecological restoration, environmental education, and deeper connections with the communities that call the Eno home.
The 2020s have brought new opportunities and challenges, from expanding protected lands and restoring native habitats to rethinking how people connect with the river in a changing climate. Explore what the ERA looks like today through perspectives from current staff on the organization’s recent accomplishments, the changes shaping their work, and their hopes for the future.
Land Conservation and Stewardship
While land conservation remains at the heart of the ERA’s mission, protecting land is only the beginning. Throughout the 2020s, the ERA has continued to expand its conservation efforts while investing in the long-term health of the lands it protects through active land stewardship. Prescribed burns, native tree plantings, invasive species removal, and other restoration projects all help to sustain the diverse ecosystems of the Eno River Basin.
The Blue Indigo Preserve is a particularly meaningful example of this work. Intentional engagement with nearby residents has strengthened community connections while land stewardship efforts have honored for the preserve’s distinctive diabase savannah habitat. This rare Piedmont ecosystem supports a variety of native plant species that are not commonly found elsewhere in the region. Community hikes and stewardship activities help visitors discover what makes the landscape special and why its protection matters.
Another significant milestone came in 2025, with the acquisition and transfer of more than 200 acres associated with Occoneechee Speedway to Eno River State Park. The property includes the historic dirt speedway, which hosted NASCAR’s inaugural season in 1949, as well as the James M. Johnson Nature Preserve and portions of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail. The transfer expanded the state park to more than 4,700 acres, marking a major achievement in the ongoing effort to protect the Eno’s natural and cultural heritage.
At the Confluence Natural Area, the ERA has also expanded its restoration and recreation efforts. In 2024, the organization completed the Poplar Bend Loop and Cut-Through trails, increasing opportunities for visitors to explore the preserve. Work has also included removing thousands of pounds of trash from former dump sites on the expanded property. In 2025, the ERA began restoring 8.6 acres of native forest and nearly 20 acres of Piedmont prairie habitat.
As Land Stewardship Manager Indigo Roper-Edwards explains, this work represents a new chapter for the organization. “This kind of major ecological restoration is not something that the Eno River Association had done before.”
Beyond improving habitat, these projects create opportunities for the community to learn about the prairies, forests, and other ecosystems that make the Eno River Basin unique. They also demonstrate how conservation continues long after a property is protected.
Volunteers make much of this work possible. Through the Trail Stewards program, community workdays, and trail-building projects, volunteers help maintain public access areas and support restoration across ERA properties. Their contributions extend the reach of a relatively small staff and strengthen the community’s connection to the land.
Roper-Edwards describes the volunteer network as essential to the organization’s impact. From maintaining trails at the Confluence and Panther Branch to helping build new ones, volunteers bring their time, skills, and enthusiasm to the work of caring for these places.
The relationships that make this work possible have been built over decades. Chris Dreps, ERA’s Director of Conservation and Stewardship, joined the organization after serving as conservation director at the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. He sees the ERA’s long history of collaboration as a significant strength.
“It’s amazing to work in a team like that and with an organization that already has decades of connections,” Dreps says.
Those connections are especially important as the organization responds to new conservation challenges. Sustaining relationships with landowners, community members, and partner organizations helps the ERA identify opportunities to protect land and respond when the river and its surrounding habitats face new threats.
The organization’s responsibility also extends beyond the natural environment. Protecting the Eno means recognizing the people, histories, and cultures that have shaped the watershed. Through projects such as Ribbons of Color Along the Eno River, the ERA has helped create space for people of color to share their families’ connections to the river through first- and secondhand accounts. These stories help illuminate the Black and Indigenous histories of the Eno and the enduring ties between the river and its surrounding communities.
Education and Outreach
Protecting the Eno for future generations means helping people understand, experience, and care for it today. Through environmental education and community outreach, the ERA introduces people of all ages to the river and the many ways they can support its future, whether through volunteering, advocacy, or financial contributions.
The Education team, led by Director of Education and Outreach Hillary Harrison and supported by Audrey Gentry, connects people with the Eno through public school programs, summer camps, guided hikes, nature fun days, the Eno Climate Champions program, and other community activities.
Harrison describes her role as helping ensure that community programs are engaging, educational, and connected to the wider mission of the organization. The goal is not simply to bring people to the river, but to help them understand why its protection matters.
That work has grown considerably. While ERA’s educational and outreach programs reached approximately 1,800 to 2,500 people annually in the early 2020s, they now reach nearly 6,000 people each year. The team is also working to connect with students and community members who may not otherwise have opportunities to participate in traditional outdoor programs.
Public school programming is one way to make those connections. For students who cannot easily travel to the river during the school day, ERA brings environmental learning directly into the classroom. The hope is that an introduction to the Eno at school might lead to a field trip in the spring, a summer camp, a volunteer opportunity, or even a future career in environmental conservation.
Audrey Gentry sees these experiences as part of a larger effort to build lasting relationships with the natural world. As she explains, the work centers on connecting people with the Eno, giving them opportunities to have fun while learning about the river, and laying the foundation for future generations of environmental stewards.
The Education team has also continued to adapt its programs to meet the changing needs of the community. The Eno Climate Champions program, for example, engages local teens in hands-on climate learning, creating opportunities for young people to explore environmental challenges and consider how they can make a difference.
Across these programs, the underlying goal remains the same: to make the Eno accessible, meaningful, and relevant to more people. Looking ahead, the team hopes to expand participation, strengthen partnerships with local schools, and grow public programming so that more community members can develop a lasting connection to the watershed.
Adapting to a Changing Climate
The ERA’s work has always required a willingness to adapt. In the 2020s, that flexibility has become increasingly important as climate change affects both the natural environment and the ways people safely experience it.
As Executive Director Ryan Fehrman notes, “One of the most important issues in our time is climate change and how we’re changing our actions.”
The organization’s approach to its signature public events illustrates this shift. For decades, the Festival for the Eno has brought together thousands of people to celebrate the river through music, art, and community. But increasingly unpredictable weather and the risks associated with extreme heat have prompted the ERA to reconsider how the event can remain safe and sustainable over time.
Those concerns became especially tangible after Tropical Storm Chantal affected the region in July 2025. The experience reinforced the need to rethink the traditional festival model and consider how changing weather patterns could affect attendees, volunteers, and staff.
For the ERA’s 60th anniversary in 2026, the organization took a different approach, replacing its traditional July festival with The Eno Flows Downtown, a September community celebration paired with a benefit concert. The change created an opportunity to honor the organization’s history while exploring new ways to bring people together in support of the river.
Looking ahead, the ERA plans to work with Durham Parks and Recreation to return to a festival format during Earth Day weekend in 2027. The goal is to continue celebrating the Eno’s natural beauty, cultural history, and vibrant community while responding thoughtfully to concerns about extreme heat and weather-related risks.
Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter
As the Eno River Association celebrates 60 years of conservation, its future will be shaped by the same commitment that has guided its work since the beginning: protecting the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Eno River Basin.
Land protection will remain a priority, with continued efforts to conserve important areas around Eno River State Park, the Confluence, and Panther Branch. Protecting connected landscapes can help native plants and animals move between habitats while safeguarding the ecological health of the watershed.
The ERA will also continue investing in the lands already under its care. Prairie restoration, native forest plantings, invasive species management, and other stewardship projects help ensure that conservation delivers lasting benefits. At the Confluence, plans to improve trail accessibility will create more opportunities for people with different mobility needs to experience the natural world.
Education and outreach will remain equally important. By reaching students who have historically had fewer opportunities to explore natural spaces, strengthening community partnerships, and creating welcoming ways for people to get involved, the ERA hopes to build a broader community of people invested in the river’s future.
After six decades, the work continues to evolve, but the purpose remains clear. Every protected acre, restored habitat, educational program, and community partnership contributes to a healthier watershed and a stronger relationship between people and the river.
The next chapter of the Eno River Association’s story will be written by the people who care for this place today and those who will carry that work forward tomorrow.
