Connecticut news

Spring Chestnut Planting at Wigwam Brook

Are you looking for a way to welcome spring to CT? Please join the CT Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation for planting at a brand new orchard site! On Saturday, May 8th CT-TACF will plant several American chestnut breeding lines (several hundred trees) at the newly-established Wigwam Book Orchard in Litchfield, CT. This orchard is on property owned by the Litchfield Hills Audubon, with support from CT-TACF. In 2009 a test planting was established on-site, which was very successful and allowed new orchard managers John Baker and Tom Traver to gain valuable experience growing chestnut. Thanks to a WHIP grant from NRCS, in the past month a deer fence has been installed and blue bird boxes are planned for installation later this spring.

Now that the orchard managers and the site are ready, it's time to plant the orchard! Planting of roughly 200 nuts is planned to start at 10:00 am on Saturday May 8th and will run into the early afternoon. The rain date is Sunday May 9th, same time. Wigwam Brook is located on Lipeika Road, off Route 254 and about a half mile from the Route 118 intersection in Litchfield. For more information, please contact Tom Traver at (860) 274-3928. We hope to see you there!



Kendra Gurney

TACF New England Regional Science Coordinator

802.951.6771 x1350 (o)

802.999.8706 (m)

gro.fca@ardneK

Connecticut news Chapter Menu

National Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Isn't nature amazing? ... See MoreSee Less

Isnt nature amazing?

Join us on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (EPT), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat.

Special guests Duane McKenna and Michael Charles will discuss beetle evolution and the rediscovery of a lost species, the greater chestnut weevil.

Visit tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-beetle-evolution-greater-chestnut-weevil/ to learn more and register.
... See MoreSee Less

Join us on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (EPT), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat.Special guests Duane McKenna and Michael Charles will discuss beetle evolution and the rediscovery of a lost species, the greater chestnut weevil.Visit https://tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-beetle-evolution-greater-chestnut-weevil/ to learn more and register.

Huge thanks to our amazing Bonner Scholars, Maddy, our dedicated Farm Assistant, and Gabbie, our creative Social Media Intern for all their hard work this semester! We’re so grateful for their contributions and can’t wait to welcome them back in August for another season of collaboration.

#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #meadowviewresearchfarms #emoryhenry #bonnerscholars
... See MoreSee Less

Huge thanks to our amazing Bonner Scholars, Maddy, our dedicated Farm Assistant, and Gabbie, our creative Social Media Intern for all their hard work this semester! We’re so grateful for their contributions and can’t wait to welcome them back in August for another season of collaboration.#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #meadowviewresearchfarms #emoryhenry #bonnerscholars

Join us on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (EPT), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat.

Special guests Duane McKenna and Michael Charles will discuss beetle evolution and the rediscovery of a lost species, the greater chestnut weevil.

Visit tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-beetle-evolution-greater-chestnut-weevil/ to learn more and register.
... See MoreSee Less

Join us on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (EPT), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat.Special guests Duane McKenna and Michael Charles will discuss beetle evolution and the rediscovery of a lost species, the greater chestnut weevil.Visit https://tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-beetle-evolution-greater-chestnut-weevil/ to learn more and register.

1 CommentComment on Facebook

Why don't they make a weevil that can't have babies? And put them in the wild? So it'll past it to overs so they'll die out!!!

Planting season is here! This week we planted around 140 genomically selected chestnut seedlings at Meadowview's Duncan Farm for seed orchard production. In 5–7 years, this new seed orchard will be used for breeding and collecting open-pollinated seeds to continually improve disease resistance among our trees. Exciting roots for the future!

#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #meadowviewresearchfarms
... See MoreSee Less

Planting season is here! This week we planted around 140 genomically selected chestnut seedlings at Meadowviews Duncan Farm for seed orchard production. In 5–7 years, this new seed orchard will be used for breeding and collecting open-pollinated seeds to continually improve disease resistance among our trees. Exciting roots for the future! #americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #meadowviewresearchfarms

4 CommentsComment on Facebook

I wrote to you recently and we have one out here in Oregon City OR. In the middle of our woods we just logged. It was planted about 1890. We are mailing out a sample today for you.

out of five trees, I have only one that has survived. Two due to cold killing the tops (16-21 degrees) and two I think killed by squirrels or gophers.

Awesome!! 🥰

Load more

Subscribe to the CT Chapter Newsletter

* indicates required