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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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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

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“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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