CT-TACF Chapter Chestnut Hikes in Search of American Chestnut Germplasm

Published August 31, 2021

In July 2021, the CT-TACF Chapter held several Chestnut Hikes to search for new sources of American chestnut germplasm. The CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection had previously performed habitat management harvests at many parcels of state-owned land to create early successional habitat for the New England Cottontail, a species that was proposed for listing on the Endangered Species List.  Since these forest management practices provide an opportunity for chestnut sprouts to grow quickly in abundant sunshine, we targeted these areas at about 3-5 years after harvest to look for flowering American chestnut saplings.

Several young flowering trees were found at both the Wyantenock State Forest in Warren and the Naugatuck State Forest in Hamden. Some of them were also noted to already have small numbers of female flowers. Both of these areas will be revisited in the fall to see if mature burs have developed on those trees.  These natural chestnut nurseries will hopefully provide us with several years of American chestnuts to plant in our Germplasm Conservation Orchards.


volunteers

CT-TACF member David Liedlich (tan shirt) and CT-TACF President Jack Swatt (blue shirt and backpack) discuss how the forest opening gives chestnut sprouts an opportunity to flourish. Several healthy chestnut saplings are seen at the successional forest edge.

Sara Fitzsimmons in 2005 with Jim Gage, Dr Phil Arnold, Dr Robert Gregg

2005
Sara Fern Fitzsimmons with Jim Gage, Dr Phil Arnold, & Dr Robert Gregg

2006, Sara Fitzsimmons pollinates at Stockers

2006
Sara pollinating at Stockers, PA

Sara rating cankers at Thorpewood

Sara rating cankers at Thorpewood, MD

Sara at the 25th Annual TACF meeting

2008
Sara at the 25th Annual TACF Meeting

Sara and the Graves tree

2009
Sara in the PSU Graves Orchard

Sara Fern Fitzsimmons in the Glenn Swank stump, 2009

2009
Sara in the Glenn Swank stump, PA

Sara at the International Chestnut Symposium, 2012

2012
Sara at the International Chestnut Symposium

Sara in Vermont

2014
Sara with Harmony Dalgleish and the Berlin American chestnut in Vermont

Kendra and Sara in the field

Sara and Kendra Collins working in the field

Sara presenting at the 2022 TACF Spring Meeting

2022
Sara presenting at TACF’s Spring Meeting

Sara (in the rocker) with TACF staff at the Fall Meeting

2023
Sara (in the rocker) with TACF staff at the Fall Meeting

Sara Fern Fitzsimmons

2024
Sara in the Penn State greenhouses