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Agenda for the 2024 Annual Meeting

This is the agenda for the upcoming 2024 CT Chapter Annual Meeting, held on Sunday, March 24th, 2024

 

10:00 am – Annual Meeting

Minutes of prior annual meeting

Treasurer’s Report

President’s Report

Committee Reports:

      Outreach and Education Committee

      Research Committee

      Communications Committee

      Germplasm Committee

Nomination and Election of Directors and Officers

Old Business — Insurance

New Business – Volunteer waivers and releases

            TACF Fall Meetings at Cromwell Marriott, October 24th-27th

Approximately 11:00 am –Braiding Traditional and Modern Science Toward American Chestnut Restoration” – SaraFitzsimmons, Chief Conservation Officer at TACF.

12:00 pm – Lunch

12:30 pm — Board of Directors Meeting (Open to all)

Minutes of prior board meeting

Report and approval of Budget

Report and discussion of Orchard Management

Breeding Orchards – Awaiting Genotyping results for Great Mt. Forest and Salem.

            Awaiting Blight1 or 2 ratings for Litchfield.

Inoculation at Middletown

            Seed Orchards – Plant seeds from Woodbridge orchard crossed with Phytophthera

                                resistant pollen.

           Grading first round of inoculations.  Thinning of nonselected plots.

Germplasm Conservation Orchards – New Orchard with Ridgefield C.C. at McKeon

                     Farm and private landowners in Harwinton and Killingworth.

           Continue plantings at Wilton, Woodbridge, Denison and a few replacement

                     plantings at Essex, Haddam Neck, Manchester, and Wallingford.

Talks with Heritage L.T. in Torrington for new orchard in 2025.

      Possible pollination of CAES Blight1 or 2 rated trees; Phytophthera resistant trees.

Report by the Outreach and Education Committee (Florian)

  • Earth Day at Woodbury, April 20th
  • White Memorial Foundation Presentation April 20th
  • Berlin LT Presentation, May 1st
  • Science Plant Day at CAES Hamden, August 7th
  • Durham Fair, September 26th -29th
  • Documentary screenings.

Report by the Research Committee (Florian and Jack S.)

      Ongoing Chestnut Bee Surveys

Report by the Communications Committee (Florian)

Report by the Germplasm Committee (Jack M. and Jack S.)

Old Business- Insurance purchase made during special meeting.

New Business- Chapter Planning Template (Kendra and Catherine).

                        Bylaws Committee

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There’s nothing quite like the first signs of life in the nursery; our chestnut seedlings are officially emerging! After weeks of careful stratification, planting, and patience, we’re starting to see those first tender shoots break through the soil. Early seedling emergence is a critical stage, showing us that germination was successful and that strong root systems are beginning to establish beneath the surface. These seedlings will be used for our Recurrent Genomic Selection program, including future seed orchards, progeny tests, small stem assays, phytophthora root rot screening. Here’s to healthy growth, strong roots, and a thriving season ahead! #AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience ... See MoreSee Less

Grafting is one of the tools we use to conserve large, surviving American chestnut germplasm and ensure it isn’t lost. By grafting scion from important trees onto compatible rootstock, we can preserve valuable genetics and share this germplasm across regions. This work allows exceptional trees to live on in multiple locations, supporting research, restoration, and collaboration while safeguarding the diversity of the American chestnut for the future.

#AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience
... See MoreSee Less

Our Director of Science, Jared Westbrook, was interviewed by Ira Flatow, founder and host of Science Friday, for their podcast. The episode is now available: www.sciencefriday.com/segments/restoring-american-chestnut-tree/

On Science Friday, Jared discusses the multiple approaches taken to improve blight resistance in American chestnut trees, TACF’s recurrent genomic selection program as our main engine for restoration, and what successful restoration looks like.

#americanchestnut #sciencefriday #science #restoration #explorepage #conservation
... See MoreSee Less

Black History Month provides an important opportunity to honor the past while also recognizing how Black knowledge, leadership, and community continue to shape the present. From histories rooted in land and survival to modern platforms and outdoor spaces where connection and representation matter.

Today we’re highlighting Hattie Carthan, who fought against the impacts of redlining and disinvestment by mobilizing her Bed‑Stuy community to restore its trees and protect a landmark magnolia. Her legacy shows that restoration starts with us, an idea at the heart of our work to revive the American chestnut.

Read more about Hattie Carthan: tacf.org/black-history-and-the-american-chestnut/

#blackhistorymonth #americanchestnut #treestagram #explorepage #nature
... See MoreSee Less

Black History Month provides an important opportunity to honor the past while also recognizing how Black knowledge, leadership, and community continue to shape the present. From histories rooted in land and survival to modern platforms and outdoor spaces where connection and representation matter.Today we’re highlighting Hattie Carthan, who fought against the impacts of redlining and disinvestment by mobilizing her Bed‑Stuy community to restore its trees and protect a landmark magnolia. Her legacy shows that restoration starts with us, an idea at the heart of our work to revive the American chestnut. Read more about Hattie Carthan: https://tacf.org/black-history-and-the-american-chestnut/ #blackhistorymonth #americanchestnut #treestagram #explorepage #natureImage attachmentImage attachment

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So trees DO grow in Brooklyn again?!

Our air pruning bed was constructed in early 2025 and has since been growing hybrid chestnuts that play an important role in our grafting work. Air pruning beds allow us to grow strong, well-branched root systems and make it easy to access high-quality rootstock for grafting. MRF staff are currently grafting using the root stock from trees that were grown in this air pruning bed, so stay tuned to learn more about it next week!

#americanchestnut #restorationinprogress #chestnutresearch #forestrestoration #meadowviewresearchfarms #conservationscience
... See MoreSee Less

Our air pruning bed was constructed in early 2025 and has since been growing hybrid chestnuts that play an important role in our grafting work. Air pruning beds allow us to grow strong, well-branched root systems and make it easy to access high-quality rootstock for grafting. MRF staff are currently grafting using the root stock from trees that were grown in this air pruning bed, so stay tuned to learn more about it next week!  #AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience
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