About Us
Our Mission
Our mission is to bring about the restoration of the American chestnut tree as a prominent part of Georgia forests.
The Georgia Chapter was founded to bring about the restoration of the American chestnut tree as a prominent part of Georgia forests by assisting the national foundation in its propagation efforts, by promoting public awareness through education and by supporting the scientific research efforts of TACF directed at restoring American chestnuts.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
President – Dr. Martin Cipollini
Vice President – Jack Rogers
Secretary – Dr. Zach Felix
Treasurer – Vince Payne
Science Coordinator – Dr. Martin Cipollini
Honorary Director – Mary Belle Price (posthumously)
Additional Board Members
Dr. Scott Merkle
Ana Metaxas
Dr. Caitlin Conn
Taryn Heidel
David Keehn
Scott Laseter
Brian Williams
James Wentworth
Partnerships
The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) and the Georgia Chapter (GaTACF) seek out partners that will not only help further its chestnut restoration program but also bring attention to the importance of the chestnut in American history. These partners include major universities, private foundations and businesses, as well as state and federal government agencies. With plantings at high-profile sites such as the Carter Center, Callaway Gardens Preserve, and the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum Project, GaTACF has been able to attract significant support from many partners throughout Georgia.
Each of our partners offers a unique perspective on chestnut restoration and gives GaTACF the best possible opportunity to be successful in its efforts to bring the American chestnut back to the forests of Georgia.
Georgia TACF Partner Organizations
- Atlanta History Center
- Berry College
- Bittersweet Gardens
- Bottletree Bees
- Byron Herbert Reece Farm & Heritage Center
- Carter Center
- Charlane Plantation
- Cloudland Vineyards
- Dalton State College
- Douglas County
- Elachee Nature Science Center
- Friends of Smithgall Woods State Park
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources
- Georgia State Parks
- Georgia Forestry Commission
- Georgia Governor’s Mansion
- Georgia Piedmont Land Trust
- Georgia State Botanical Garden
- Kennesaw State University (Research Farm)
- Kistner Center
- North Georgia Canopy Tours
- Pettit Environmental Center
- Rabun Gap Nacoochee School
- Reinhardt University
- Rising Fawn Gardens
- Runnin’ Wild Farms
- Smith-Gilbert Gardens
- The Blueberry Farm
- The Callaway Gardens Preserve
- The Carter Center
- Cherokee County Recreation & Parks
- Sandy Creek Nature Center
- The University of Georgia (UGA) Horticultural Farm
- The UGA Mountain Research & Education Center (GMREC)
- The UGA Warnell School of Forestry
- The Southern Company (Georgia Power)
- Toccoa Falls College
- Trees Atlanta and the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum
- University of North Georgia
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S.D.A. Forest Service
- Vogel State Park
- Young Harris College
FOR OUTSTANDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT WE WISH TO THANK
- Ailene Phillips Trust
- Dr. Austin Flint
- Berry College
- Eleanor & Tom Ratchford
- Georgia Appalachian Regional Commission
- Georgia State Specialty Crops Grant
- Lumpkin Coalition/Hemlockfest
- Dr. Martin Cipollini & Kathryn Patrick
- Mary Belle Price
- Rome Rotary Clubs
- Temple-Inland Foundation
- Urban & Community Forestry Commission
Georgia Chapter Menu
Georgia Facebook
Saturday's annual GA-TACF meeting at KSU was a great success! Please check out some of the photos from the day which included several presentations on the campus followed by lunch and a field tour at KSU's Field Station.
1 CommentComment on Facebook
Thanks for allowing the public to attend ~ this was super interesting!
Come to this weekend's meeting and get a chance to meet Dr. Scott Merkle, the winner of UGA's 2025 Lamar Dodd Creative Research Award based partly on his work with American chestnut. See our separate post about the meeting.
Research Awards | Scott Merkle
research.uga.edu
NEWS Scott Merkle Posted on Mar 21, 2025 by akatki 0 Likes Lamar Dodd Creative Research Award 2025 Scott Merkle, professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, is a leading researc...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
This past week, University of North Georgia students led by Karrie Ann Fadroski prepped and direct-seeding 100 hybrid chestnuts in their Phytophthora root rot resistance breeding orchard. This is at UNG's Hurricane Creek research station. GA-TACF's Jack Rogers helped coordinate and lead this effort. Trees were sourced from breeding orchards at Milner Farm (Frank Milner), Bottomlands (Scott Frazier), and Henry Hootin' Holler (Henry family) and were harvested and processed by Berry College students.
To learn more about this kind of collaborative work and how you might help out, please attend our annual meeting on April 12 at Kennesaw State University (see announcement on this Facebook page).
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Latest News
GA-TACF’s Annual Meeting April 12 2025
The American Chestnut Foundation Georgia Chapter (GA-TACF) Notice of Annual Meeting GA-TACF will hold its annual meeting on April 12, 2025, starting at 10:00 AM at Kennesaw State University (see directions below). Chapter members are invited and encouraged to attend,...
GA-TACF Chestnut Seedling Distribution Event!
GA-TACF will hold a chestnut seedling distribution event on Saturday February 8 from 12 noon - 5 pm at River Remedy Brewing, Rome, GA https://www.riverremedybrewing.com/home Most of the seedlings will be hybrids derived from the TACF backcross breeding program. Most...
GA-TACF Annual Meeting May 11, 2024
The American Chestnut Foundation Georgia Chapter (GA-TACF) Annual Meeting Announcement The Georgia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation will convene for its annual meeting on May 11th, 2024 at 10:00 AM, at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources,...