Fall is quickly approaching and it’s time to go out and collect the burs from the trees we pollinated this year as well as harvesting nuts from some wild American trees. This schedule can change at any time depending on weather, so this page may be updated periodically. Some harvesting can be done in weedy fields or in thickly wooded forest openings, so dress appropriately. Pole pruners, hand pruners and thick leather gloves, or doubled up gardening gloves would be helpful. For any questions, please contact us at moc.liamg@retpahctc.fcat.
Thursday, September 18th – 9:00 AM Goodwin State Forest, meet at the parking lot at 23 Potter Rd, Hampton. From there we will drive to the trails that the chestnut trees are located on. Around 12:00, Pachaug SF in Plainfield. Meet at the trailhead parking at the corner of Sterling Rd. and Dow Rd.
Friday, September 19th – 9:00 AM, Woodbridge Backcross Orchard. Near the Woodbridge Community Gardens and the Dog Park on Beecher Rd, Woodbridge. Around 12:00, Lockwood Farms, 890 Evergreen Ave, Hamden. Meet near the pavilion. We will have a bucket truck rental for these two harvests but there will be plenty of bagged burs that can be collected from ladders and the ground level. Around 3:00, Guilford Backcross Orchard, Nut Plains Park on Nut Plains Rd., Guilford.
Saturday, September 20th – 10:00 AM, Bull Hill Preserve, Woodstock. Meet at the parking area on Bull Hill Rd. in Woodstock. It is about a 1 mile easy hike to the clearing where the chestnuts are, with a great view of the surrounding hills.
Tuesday, September 23rd – 9:00 AM, Middletown. Meet at the parking area at Seven Falls Park, which is over the town line in Higganum on RT 154 (Saybrook Rd.) We can car pool to several locations in the Maromas Area of Middletown.
Wednesday, September 24th – 9:00 AM, Litchfield, Wigwam Brook Sanctuary Backcross Orchard, Meet at the parking area on Lipeika Rd. Rain date is Thursday, Sept. 25th at the same time.
Friday, September 26th – 9:00 AM, Ellington Backcross Orchard, NCLT Swann Farm Preserve, 125 Reeves Rd., Ellington.
Shucking Party and Pot Luck Dinner. 1 PM to 7 PM (or later) The Rockfall Foundation, 27 Washington St., Middletown, CT. Now that we have harvested all the burs, it will be time to shuck them open and count up all the chestnuts we harvested. Stop by anytime if you only have a few hours to help. Bring anything you would like to share, chestnut themed or not. Thick leather gloves or doubled up gardening gloves will be very helpful for handling the burs.
