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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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We are not apart from the Earth—we are a part of it. Not something to own or use, but something we belong to. A living part of us, meant to be loved and cared for as deeply as anything else we hold dear.

#Restoration #conservation #americanchestnut #chestnut #trees #trending
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We are not apart from the Earth—we are a part of it. Not something to own or use, but something we belong to. A living part of us, meant to be loved and cared for as deeply as anything else we hold dear.#restoration #conservation #americanchestnut #chestnut #trees #trending

1 CommentComment on Facebook

“Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with our Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” ― Aldo Leopold

TACF is hiring!
We’re looking for a 2026 New England Restoration Intern to support hands‑on chestnut breeding and forest restoration work across our New England chapters. This paid summer internship offers real‑world experience in plant breeding, field research, orchard management, and conservation science. 🌱
Know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them!

Visit tacf.org/employment/ to find out more information and apply!

#americanchestnut #internship #hiring #explorepage #conservation #forestrestoration
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TACF is hiring!We’re looking for a 2026 New England Restoration Intern to support hands‑on chestnut breeding and forest restoration work across our New England chapters. This paid summer internship offers real‑world experience in plant breeding, field research, orchard management, and conservation science. 🌱Know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them!Visit https://tacf.org/employment/ to find out more information and apply! #americanchestnut #internship #hiring #explorepage #conservation  #forestrestoration

Building the future of our trellis orchard one graft at a time! After beginning to train Chinese chestnut trees onto wire last summer, Meadowview Research Farm staff are continuing that work this season by grafting and training American scion onto the same system. By training chestnut trees on wire, our hope is that the canopy is more accessible, making it easier and safer to access all male and female flowers from the ground. Grafting diverse American chestnut scion onto the wire will provide future access to trees from other regions. This careful process of connection and guidance blends strength, structure, and adaptability. #americanchestnut #RestorationInProgress #chestnutresearch #forestrestoration #meadowviewresearchfarms #ConservationScience ... See MoreSee Less

Building the future of our trellis orchard one graft at a time! After beginning to train Chinese chestnut trees onto wire last summer, Meadowview Research Farm staff are continuing that work this season by grafting and training American scion onto the same system. By training chestnut trees on wire, our hope is that the canopy is more accessible, making it easier and safer to access all male and female flowers from the ground. Grafting diverse American chestnut scion onto the wire will provide future access to trees from other regions. This careful process of connection and guidance blends strength, structure, and adaptability. #AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience

2 CommentsComment on Facebook

Great work!!

That's a great idea and i hope it works for ya'll, Good luck 👍

At Heirloom Table Company, nothing is wasted and every table tells a story.
This clip showcases how salvaged American chestnut wood, reclaimed from old New England buildings, is transformed into handcrafted tables designed to become family heirlooms.

The full video takes a deeper look at the process and then introduces another local artisan who handcrafts Native‑style flutes. While the flute‑making isn’t connected to chestnut wood, it’s a beautiful continuation of the theme: preserving craftsmanship, skill, and tradition.

Watch the full video here: www.wcvb.com/article/crafting-heirlooms-and-melodies-in-new-england/70794861

#news #americanchestnut #wood #trees #explorepage
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We are beginning to see catkins on chestnut trees in our high-light growth chamber! By growing our chestnuts under 16 hours of high-intensity light, we’re seeing incredible results, including pollen production in less than 2 years. In the field, pollen and female flower production typically takes 5–7 years. This acceleration allows us to shorten breeding cycles and speed up tree generations, helping us select, improve, and scale better chestnut genetics much faster than traditional timelines.

#AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience
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6 CommentsComment on Facebook

Have you sent out the seeds for seed-level members? I was supposed to get six of them; and in the past, they have always come in March -- and today is the 27th.

Is it possible to buy pollen from American chestnuts?

It is good to hear of the accelerated time line. Are these trees all genotyped?

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