The American Chestnut Foundation
Photo of the Month 



The Photo of the Month, "Chipping Sparrow," was captured by Mark Moore of

Rimersburg, PA

on June 17, 2012.

 

 Read more about this photo and learn how you can submit your own. 

Now's your chance to pre-register for the 2012 American Chestnut Summit, this October 19-21 in beautiful Asheville, NC.

For more information about the Summit and registration, visit our website.  

Give a Gift Membership

Take part of one of the greatest environmental success stories of your lifetime!
Seeking Reclaimed Mine Lands 



TACF is currently seeking reclaimed mine lands in KY, VA, WV, OH, and PA for reforestation in 2013 and 2014 Conservation Innovation (CIG) plantings. 
 

Now Available on our Website!   

 

We've had so many requests for reprints of our March-April 2012 edition that we made these pages available for you to download, print and share. This is our latest work on the status of our backcross and genetic programs to develop a blight-resistant chestnut.

 

Special Issue: Chestnut Blight and Blight Resistance  

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TACF Calendar 

 August 18 / The Lower Susquehanna Restoration Branch Event / contact: [email protected]

 

September 4-8 / Fifth International Chestnut Symposium / National Conservation Training Center / Shepherdstown, WV 

 

October 5-7 / TACF's Sara Fitzsimmons at the Paul Bunyan Show / Guernsey County Fairgrounds, Old Washington, OH  

 

October 7 /Annual West Virginia Chestnut Festival / Rowlesburg, WV 
 
October 13 / 3rd Annual Chestnut Restoration Celebration / Hartwood in Abingdon, VA / contact:

 

October 18-19 / TACF Fall Board Meeting / Crowne Plaza Resort, Asheville, NC      

 

October 19-21 /2012 American Chestnut Summit / Crowne Plaza Resort, Asheville, NC
Arborist Pays Tribute to American Chestnuts with His Collection of Historic Photographs

Randy Cyr is called the "Green Tree Doctor" for his extensive tree work in the Greenville, SC area.
Cyr, a member of TACF, asks, "What if we could step back in time when American chestnuts ruled Appalachia and mountain folk worked the land? What was it like to experience the anguish of being robbed of a way of life?" Go back in time with Cyr's collection of historic chestnut photographs.
Featured Video: Chestnut Research at SUNY-ESF and NY-TACF

Take a look at the work performed by SUNY- ESF and the NY Chapter of TACF to produce transgenic American chestnut trees. Local TV Station YNN Rochester produced this video.
Quiz Question: How does chestnut lumber get that "wormy" appearance?

Once considered a defect, reclaimed chestnut wood often has "worm holes" that are now highly valued by woodworkers. Do you know what produces this "wormy" appearance? 
 




In May we asked you to identify
a chestnut gall wasp infestation.

Did you k
now? The chestnut gall wasp was imported to the US in 1974. Chestnut gall wasps lay their eggs in bud and flower tissue. Feeding by the larvae results in the tree forming a characteristic gall...Read More (pdf). 

Conference Attendees Enthusiastic About American Chestnuts' Potential on Reclamation Mined Lands

By Michael French, TACF Forester 
 

The 2012 Mined Land Reforestation Conference in Big Stone Gap, VA took place May 22 and 23. Throughout the conference, there was interest in The American Chestnut Foundation's (TACF) restoration efforts and inclusion of chestnuts as a component of mined land reclamation plantings (Photo by Nathan Hall).    

Discoveries on the Appalachian Trail

Since 2008, chestnut enthusiasts have combined their love for American chestnuts and the Appalachian Trail (AT) through the AT MEGA-Transect Chestnut Project. Read about the exciting discoveries made on the trail by this year's first group of trainees who attended a workshop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser, NC on June 9th.
Tom Winn from Wayne, NC with a chestnut bur found on the AT.
       Photo by Hill Craddock
Congratulations to the Fifth Grade Class of Elwood Kindle Elementary School in Pitman, NJ!


Elwood Kindle Elementary 5th Grade Class
Photo by Jill Young
Here's the latest from Elwood Kindle Elementary 5th graders in Pitman, NJ. They earned the title of Runners-Up in the New Jersey Disney Planet Challenge for their project dedicated to American chestnut restoration. We extend our congratulations to these hardworking and creative students who have taken on the challenge to restore American chestnuts to their town. Read their story here.   
The mission of The American Chestnut Foundation is to restore the American chestnut tree to our eastern woodlands to benefit our environment, our wildlife, and our society.
 
TACF is a 501(c)3 conservation organization headquartered in Asheville, NC.  
To learn about TACF and its national breeding program, visit www.acf.org.