Rescuing the
American Chestnut
Our Vision
is a robust eastern forest restored to its splendor
Our Mission
is to return the iconic American chestnut to its native range
Chestnut Chat Series
In the next Chestnut Chat on Friday, March 17, 2023 at 11:30 AM (EST), TACF invites poster contest winners and participants from the 2022 Annual Symposium to recap their work in front of a larger audience. We are excited to be joined by three young scientists from partnering academic institutions. All Chestnut Chats are LIVE via Zoom, so you can attend from anywhere! To pre-register for this event, click on How to Participate below.
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Latest News
Biotech Chestnut Tree to Restore Lost Ecosystems and Biodiversity With Your Help
A recent article, published just before the holidays, shares the history of restoration efforts of the American chestnut tree. The article continues on to detail the current deregulation efforts towards the transgenic tree, Darling 58. "Over the last twenty years,...
The Race to Save the American Chestnut
American Chestnuts once numbered in the billions and ranged along the East coast from Maine to Mississippi. But a blight in the early 1900s pushed them back to a fraction of their historic range. Today, the American Chestnut is considered “functionally extinct”, but...
Gene Editing Could Revive a Nearly Lost Tree
In a recent article by The Washington Post, The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) in partnership with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) continue the conversation around the transgenic breeding of the American...
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Congratulations to Chase Witmer, this year's photo contest winner!
Each year we hold a photo contest to showcase a photographer's unique eye when capturing pictures of American chestnut. This year's winner is 15-year-old Chase Witmer from Pennsylvania. Chase isn't just an avid photographer but also a future forester. His love of all things forestry and American chestnut started on land that has been in his family for 100+ years. His father would tell him stories about the American chestnut and as soon as he could, he began studying the trees on the property and taking photos. His winning photo, "Chestnut Leaves" is featured in the winter 2023 issue of TACF's Chestnut magazine.
This year's photo contest was judged bySouthern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust conserving land and water resources in the mountains of TN and NC. Since it's founding in 1974, SAHC has protected more than 80,000 acres of unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic views and places for all people to enjoy. Visit Appalachian.org for more information.
My beautiful tree 🌳 passed from the blight. Italian castagne
Such a familiar leaf, but yet so different from C.sativa in Europe, when you compare the leaves of C.dentata with C.sativa
Keep up the great work ! Castanea forever
I surely do hope I live long enough to buy one of these from the local nursery, and plant it for future occupants of my house.
Mark your calendar for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat: March 17th at 11:30 (EST).
acf.org/event/chestnut-chat-2022-fall-symposium-student-poster-session-participants-2/
TACF invites poster contest winners and participants from the 2022 Annual Symposium to recap their work. We are excited to be joined by three young scientists, Trish Nguyen, Kaitlyn Harden and Morgan De Wingo.
CT-TACF Chapter American Chestnut Maryland Chapter PA / NJ Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation MA/RI Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation The Georgia Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project West Virginia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation
If you find American chestnuts, here is a a great description by our West Virginia Chapter of how to recognize the fungus. We also have a fact sheet on TACF Resource page, Identifying Blight Cankers on American Chestnut - acf.org/resources/tacf-fact-sheets/
My beautiful American Chestnut was flourishing and then died suddenly due to this. Simply didn't leaf out in the Spring and was totally dead. I couldn't believe how quick it happened. 😔
When I lived in Coastal SC I planted 18 Dunstan Chestnut trees. If I recall the Dunstan Chestnut is 98% American Chestnut and 2% Chinese Chestnut, and resistant to the blight. Sadly we moved before they began to fruit. Hoping to plant some on our new farm in Massachusetts.
I am worried about my big old chestnut tree. I will keep my eyes on it. Just moved here last summer. I had hundreds of chestnuts on the ground. If I buy other trees, any kind, for my yard, am I possibly bringing in a fungus that will hurt this old beauty?
But did the drought make them more vulnerable, trees already in an urbanized (ie stressful) situation?? We shift their environment and then wonder why new city trees only live ten years ....chestnuts are a floodplain forest tree- seems likely that drought played a role for trees that were already out of their natural environment; once the disease took hold, it became a pandemic....
I anyone has America chestnut on there property I urge you to reach out to the American chestnut foundation they maybe be able to help them survive they do have products now that can kill the fungus that causes the blight
How do you get rid of it ?
Has TCAF ever investigated inoculating American chestnuts with Inonotus obliquus (chaga) to combat the blight fungus?
And, I ask again: Should I take a a branch and graft it onto a tree??
Brian Simpkins
I believe I’d cut that off near ground and 🔥🔥🔥🔥
So after all these years of fungal infection that started in Asia, are their trees extinct now?
The first of many invasive species from Asia
What is going on in America? Are dangerous chemicals causing this?
And, the fungus was killing trees prior to those that died in NYC in 1904.
Meet new Indiana Chapter President, Bill Deeter, as he provides an update on the Indiana chapter activities and reflects on goals for the coming year. A great example of how our Chapters and their leaders work collectively toward our mission of restoration and all the partners and organizations involved in this mission.
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Doing GOOD has no end!
TACF IS HIRING!!!! The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) seeks to hire an experienced, full-time Web Administrator with experience in WordPress, Microsoft 365, and SharePoint. Visit acf.org/employment/ for full job description and information for how to apply for this job.
Kayla Carter
Lauren Jewell Carey