Nature weavings were one of the crafts offered at the celebration.
At the end of the day, all the chestnuts were eaten and the children used up all the leaves and feathers creating nature weavings. Even the chestnut beer was gone! The 8th Annual Chestnut Restoration Celebration was a roaring success. More than 300 attended on a beautiful fall afternoon, keeping all 22 volunteers busy. Interest in the status of the breeding program was high and, as typical, many wanted to get their hands on potentially blight-resistant seedlings. In addition, there were chestnut stories, such as the 91 year old woman who just wanted to taste roasted chestnuts as she remembered the tree from years ago. The farm crew conducted orchard tours and Ben Jarrett, Southern Regional Science Coordinator, presented the story of the American chestnut to a lively audience. The October 14th Celebration was sponsored by the Southwest Virginia Restoration Branch of TACF’s Virginia Chapter in collaboration with the Meadowview Research Farms staff.
Attendees enjoyed good entertainment, food, and conversation.