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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- TACF Southern Regional Science Coordinator Jamie planting alongside a young volunteer.
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- Burke County Representative Hugh Blackwell came to join the planting at Oak Hill Park.
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- Volunteers at Oak Hill Park planting native trees including American chestnut.
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- Burke County Representative Hugh Blackwell chats with a volunteer about the restoration planting.
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- Volunteers at FCNC’s Possum Rock property observe a planting demonstration.