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Photo gallery – CT 40th TACF Anniversary Celebration

The American Chestnut Foundation is celebrating 40 years of research and restoration!

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in Hamden started to plant chestnuts as early as 1941, and has been an incredible partner for the Foundation, allowing fruitful collaborations between their scientists and TACF. It was therefore the ideal place to celebrate this anniversary amongst their multitudes of chestnut orchards!

On Sunday October 8, the CT Chapter at the Lockwood Farm hosted the following program:

  • 1 pm: Guided tour of the chestnut orchards by CAES Assistant Agricultural Scientist Susanna Keriö, TACF-CT Chapter President Jack Swatt, and TACF-CT Chapter Outreach Coordinator Florian Carle.
  • 2 pm: Screening of TACF’s new documentary film CLEAR DAY THUNDER: Rescuing the American Chestnut outside, under the Pavillon
  • 3 pm: Self guided tour & hike at Sleeping Giant to see significant chestnut trees like “Sleeping Giant”, “Graves”, or “Mahogany”

This event was co-sponsored by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station who generously welcomed us at their farm.

 

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Love grows—just like the American chestnut. 💚

From everyone at TACF, Happy Valentines Day!

Illustrations on our valentines were done by Hal Brindley.

#americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #nature #environement #valentinesday
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Love grows—just like the American chestnut. 💚 From everyone at TACF, Happy Valentines Day! Illustrations on our valentines were done by Hal Brindley. #americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #nature #environement #valentinesdayImage attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

Seed prep is underway! Meadowview Research Farms staff and Emory & Henry Bonner Scholars are currently bagging seeds that will be sent to TACF Seed Level Members next week. These hybrid chestnut seeds are collected from genomically selected mother trees at Meadowview Research Farms and are one of the only ways to get seeds from TACF. Each seed represents a step forward as we prepare them for distribution to our seed level members; thank you for helping grow the future of the American chestnut!

#AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ChestnutSeedlings
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Seed prep is underway! Meadowview Research Farms staff and Emory & Henry Bonner Scholars are currently bagging seeds that will be sent to TACF Seed Level Members next week. These hybrid chestnut seeds are collected from genomically selected mother trees at Meadowview Research Farms and are one of the only ways to get seeds from TACF. Each seed represents a step forward as we prepare them for distribution to our seed level members; thank you for helping grow the future of the American chestnut!#AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ChestnutSeedlings
3 days ago

A major milestone for conservation science.

Our Director of Science, Dr. Jared Westbrook, has published new research in “Science” showing how genomic tools can transform endangered species recovery. By using recurrent genomic selection, we can predict resilience earlier, shorten breeding cycles, and build a restoration system that grows stronger with every generation.

This model doesn’t just help the American chestnut, it could guide restoration for threatened species across the world.

Read the full article: www.science.org/eprint/SBHDH76BXDK366UMHU44/full?activationRedirect=/doi/full/10.1126/science.adw...

#ScienceResearch #ConservationScience #americanchestnut #restoration #conservation #science #nature #explorepage #chestnuts
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A major milestone for conservation science.Our Director of Science, Dr. Jared Westbrook, has published new research in “Science” showing how genomic tools can transform endangered species recovery. By using recurrent genomic selection, we can predict resilience earlier, shorten breeding cycles, and build a restoration system that grows stronger with every generation.This model doesn’t just help the American chestnut, it could guide restoration for threatened species across the world.Read the full article: https://www.science.org/eprint/SBHDH76BXDK366UMHU44/full?activationRedirect=/doi/full/10.1126/science.adw3225#ScienceResearch #ConservationScience #americanchestnut #restoration #conservation #science #nature #explorepage #chestnutsImage attachment

16 CommentsComment on Facebook

Would this work for the American elm tree?

Across the world...is that like around the world?

Is the American Chestnut Foundation releasing hybrid chestnuts for sale again? I knew you'd shut down the program because you didn't consider the hybrid chestnut tree lineage fixed enough yet in terms of growth pattern. I'm wondering if one can buy chestnut tree saplings again from the Chestnut Foundation?

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We’re honored to be highlighted in this AVLtoday feature on the American chestnut’s story in Western North Carolina.

While the path to restoration is long, moments like this remind us how many people care about bringing this tree back to the landscape it once defined.

Thank you to everyone who continues to help this story grow.

Read the article: avltoday.6amcity.com/chestnut-tree-wnc

Photo curtsey of Audrey Snow Owen of PA/NJ TACF

#americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #environment #nature #asheville #chestnuts
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We’re honored to be highlighted in this AVLtoday feature on the American chestnut’s story in Western North Carolina. While the path to restoration is long, moments like this remind us how many people care about bringing this tree back to the landscape it once defined.Thank you to everyone who continues to help this story grow.Read the article: https://avltoday.6amcity.com/chestnut-tree-wncPhoto curtsey of Audrey Snow Owen of PA/NJ TACF#americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #environment #nature #asheville #chestnuts

2 CommentsComment on Facebook

I thought American chestnuts didn't have hairs on them or shiny leaves. Is this a chinese hybrid?

Is the photo a back crossed hybrid of American chestnut and Chinese chestnut?

Freedom seekers—enslaved Africans and African Americans who escaped slavery in pursuit of freedom—faced hunger, exposure, and unfamiliar terrain as they journeyed north.

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.

Throughout February, we will share a series of four stories that explore Black relationships to land, legacy, and community, looking at both historical foundations and contemporary expressions.

Read more about Freedom Seekers: tacf.org/black-history-and-the-american-chestnut/

#BlackHistoryMonth #americanchestnut #explorepage #chestnuts #BlackHistoryMonth2026 #restoration #conservation #history
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Freedom seekers—enslaved Africans and African Americans who escaped slavery in pursuit of freedom—faced hunger, exposure, and unfamiliar terrain as they journeyed north.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.Throughout February, we will share a series of four stories that explore Black relationships to land, legacy, and community, looking at both historical foundations and contemporary expressions.Read more about Freedom Seekers: https://tacf.org/black-history-and-the-american-chestnut/ #blackhistorymonth #americanchestnut #explorepage #chestnuts #blackhistorymonth2026 #restoration #conservation #historyImage attachmentImage attachment

3 CommentsComment on Facebook

Hopefully they will be developing a mold resistant tree.

That's a really interesting perspective. I think a lot of woodcraft and other types of knowledge about the natural world, like astronomy, had to be shared. Also, marine skills.

Chestnuts?

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