Carolinas News

Boy Scout-Led Restoration Project in Burke County, NC Featured in Morganton News Herald

Volunteers smile for a group photo post-planting. Photo courtesy of FCNC.

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 was featured in the The News Herald for his commitment to conservation.

Inspired by an environmental science course he took in school, Grossman holds multiple environmental merit badges and had worked alongside FCNC for months to bring this restoration project to fruition.

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We are thankful for each and everyone of you! ... See MoreSee Less

We are thankful for each and everyone of you!

Follow us to learn more about the blight and what to do if this happens to a tree near you! ... See MoreSee Less

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I believe I have a few resistant chestnut trees that have produced their second crop of seeds . They are descendants of those once in living in .Valley Garden Park

What is the cure? Tx 🙏

Hybrids*

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Holiday cheer is brewing! 🎄🍺 TACF staff joined Sweetbay Brewing’s Patrick Atkins in Abingdon, VA, as he demonstrated how Meadowview-ground American chestnut seeds are being used to craft a rich brown ale for our Chestnuts Roasting & Christmas Market celebration on December 13. Join us for local flavor, music, and chestnut-inspired holiday fun! #AmericanChestnut #SweetbayBrewing #ChestnutsRoasting #HolidayCheers #MeadowviewResearchFarms #AbingdonVA #ForestRestoration ... See MoreSee Less

Holiday cheer is brewing! 🎄🍺 TACF staff joined Sweetbay Brewing’s Patrick Atkins in Abingdon, VA, as he demonstrated how Meadowview-ground American chestnut seeds are being used to craft a rich brown ale for our Chestnuts Roasting & Christmas Market celebration on December 13. Join us for local flavor, music, and chestnut-inspired holiday fun! #AmericanChestnut #SweetbayBrewing #ChestnutsRoasting #HolidayCheers #MeadowviewResearchFarms #AbingdonVA #ForestRestoration

1 CommentComment on Facebook

Kirk🌰🍺!

Join us tomorrow, November 21, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (ET), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat webinar.

Our special guest, Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, is a small grains breeder with a talent for explaining the fundamentals of breeding and quantitative genetics. In her talk, she will describe how modern tools such as genomic selection and high-throughput phenotyping can speed up improvement for multiple traits—and how these technologies can be effectively applied to TACF’s American chestnut breeding program. Jessica is a quantitative geneticist and leads the winter wheat breeding program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

To register, visit: tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-faster-genetic-gain/
... See MoreSee Less

Join us tomorrow, November 21, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (ET), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat webinar.Our special guest, Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, is a small grains breeder with a talent for explaining the fundamentals of breeding and quantitative genetics. In her talk, she will describe how modern tools such as genomic selection and high-throughput phenotyping can speed up improvement for multiple traits—and how these technologies can be effectively applied to TACF’s American chestnut breeding program. Jessica is a quantitative geneticist and leads the winter wheat breeding program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.To register, visit: https://tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-faster-genetic-gain/

1 CommentComment on Facebook

Will be recording be made available later for those of us who cannot attend midday?

Grab your camera and hit the trails—the American Chestnut Photo Contest is back! We’re looking for striking, creative, and unique images of American chestnut trees and hybrids.

The first-place winner will have their photo featured on the cover of a future issue of Chestnut magazine and receive a one-year TACF membership, along with a T-shirt and hat. Open until December 31, 2025

Visit tacf.org/2025-photo-contest/ for more!
... See MoreSee Less

Grab your camera and hit the trails—the American Chestnut Photo Contest is back! We’re looking for striking, creative, and unique images of American chestnut trees and hybrids.The first-place winner will have their photo featured on the cover of a future issue of Chestnut magazine and receive a one-year TACF membership, along with a T-shirt and hat. Open until December 31, 2025Visit https://tacf.org/2025-photo-contest/ for more!
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