In The News
“You teach me, I forget. You show me, I remember. You involve me, I understand” ~E.O. “Ed” Wilson, 1929-2021, The American Chestnut Foundation’s Honorary Director Since hearing of Ed’s passing, a day I knew would come but dreaded, there is little I can add to the many deserved accolades...
In partnership with TACF, the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina (FCNC) joined the American chestnut rescue mission in December 2021 with two volunteer plantings in Burke County, NC. Volunteers succeeded in planting 500 American chestnut seedlings at Oak Hill Park and FCNC’s Possum Rock property. Boy Scout Aaron Grossman spearheaded the Possum Rock restoration planting in order to achieve his Eagle Scout rank, and...
ME-TACF Chapter's Tom Klak, professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England (UNE), has partnered with Sweet Cream Dairy in Biddeford, ME to release a chestnut ice cream for the third year in a row. This partnership between TACF, UNE, and local business Sweet Cream has been incredibly successful in previous years, with the chestnut ice cream...
Do you know what a landscape fabric spreading machine looks like? I didn’t, until the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDF) lent one to the VA-TACF Chapter on December 7 and 8. This machine helped greatly as volunteers planted 678 hybrid chestnut seedlings at Matthews State Forest in Grayson County, VA. In addition...
The Susquehannock Wildlife Society (SWS) is proud to announce that a new American chestnut restoration project is underway on our 20-acre Wildlife Center property in Harford County, MD, thanks to the generous donation of forty seedlings from TACF. This project began after SWS had to cut most of our Green ash trees due to damage caused by the invasive emerald ash borer. Learning in...
Today, December 14, 2021 is a special occasion at TACF: Roast Chestnuts Day! As we enjoy this holiday season, the tune of Nat King Cole’s famous 1946 “The Christmas Song” brings forth cheerful appreciation for "chestnuts roasting on an open fire." TACF’s hopeful mission to rescue the iconic American chestnut tree ensures that future generations may continue the sentimental holiday...
In this November 2021 article from The Washington Post, University of California Santa Cruz professor of ecology and evolution Beth Shapiro explores the power of synthetic biology to restore earth’s critical biodiversity. Citing the restoration of the functionally extinct American chestnut tree and the highly endangered black-footed ferret, Beth addresses the capability of human intervention to reverse the course of human-influenced environmental damage. This...
On November 17, 2021, the This is Love podcast released its 40th episode titled "Grandfather of the Forest," exploring the multigenerational journey of American chestnut restoration. Host Phoebe Judge speaks with passionate TACF members Blair and Mary Carbaugh, Kristy Klinger, and TACF Director of Restoration Sara Fitzsimmons, gaining insight into the motivations of those who plant trees under the shade of which they will...
The 13th annual West Virginia Chestnut Festival was held on Sunday, October 10 in Rowlesburg, WV. Traditions of this festival include the annual crowning of two individuals as Mr. and Mrs. Chestnut, based on their valued contributions to the broad areas of the American chestnut heritage and tradition. Jeff and Erica Kochenderfer were crowned 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Chestnut. Jeff serves as the north zone...
A large American chestnut tree in Sherwood, Oregon, more than six feet in diameter, has succumbed to old age. The passing of such a large tree in current times is a rare event. The tree that died was planted in 1885 by a farmer named Hicks. A nearby second tree planted by Hicks, four feet in diameter, survives. The article, “Back from the Brink,”...
An article from the Maine Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) details their latest collaboration with the ME-TACF Chapter. Armed with about 30 chestnut seedlings, the district began working to clone these seedlings for blight resistance. The district’s efforts have prompted the ME-TACF Chapter to donate another 300 seedlings. Central Aroostook SWCD Executive Director Randy Martin (pictured) and Forester Ethan Hill are...
"Music from the river once was a lullaby to the great town that doesn’t have ears to hear it much anymore. Sometimes a rainbow spans the olden home place of the Principal People. But it doesn’t speak the same happy tidings to the same happy tribe. Even the tall, smoky-looking mountains are silent. Too silent." –T. Walter Middleton The cover...