BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The American Chestnut Foundation - ECPv6.17.4//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The American Chestnut Foundation X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://tacf.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The American Chestnut Foundation REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261009T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261009T130000 DTSTAMP:20260928T190517Z CREATED:20260925T220458Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260928T190517Z UID:10002210-1791545400-1791550800@tacf.org SUMMARY:Chestnut Chat: Chestnut Cultivation in Türkiye: Current Status and Future Perspectives DESCRIPTION:Join us on Friday\, October 9\, 2026\, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (Eastern)\, for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat webinar. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Featuring special guest Dr. Burak Akyüz. \nChestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) has a long history of cultivation in Türkiye\, where they hold significant economic\, ecological\, and cultural importance. Beyond their contribution to rural livelihoods\, chestnuts are deeply rooted in Turkish culinary traditions\, local festivals\, and regional identities. This presentation will provide an overview of chestnut cultivation in Türkiye\, highlighting its historical and cultural significance\, current production status\, major growing regions\, and economic importance. Particular attention will be given to traditional and newly developed cultivars\, genetic resources\, and ongoing breeding and hybridization programs aimed at improving productivity\, nut quality\, and resistance to major diseases and pests. The presentation will also address the key challenges facing Turkish chestnut production\, including chestnut blight\, chestnut gall wasp\, climate change\, and limitations in modern orchard management. Finally\, recent advances in cultivar development\, propagation techniques\, and sustainable cultivation practices will be discussed\, together with future perspectives for strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of the Turkish chestnut sector. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n HOW TO PARTICIPATE (via Zoom Webinar) \nPre-registration is required to attend this event. Pre-register here. After registering\, you will receive an email with a unique URL link to join the event. You can also add the event to your calendar from the webinar registration approval page. The meeting will open 15 minutes prior to the start time to allow an audio and video test. \n \n Pre-Register Here\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Presenter\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Burak Akyüz\nAssociate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at OndokuzMayıs University in Samsun\, Türkiye \n \n \n \n \n \n Bio\nBurak Akyüz\, PhD\, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at OndokuzMayıs University in Samsun\, Türkiye. His research centers on chestnuts\, with additional work on hazelnuts and walnuts. He focuses on in vitro propagation\, rootstock breeding\, and graft compatibility. His doctoral research evaluated the rootstock potential and graft compatibility of interspecific hybrid chestnut genotypes. He participated in chestnut interspecific breeding programs that have led to registered cultivars. He led a TÜBİTAK-funded project developing conventional and bioreactor-based micropropagation protocols for clonal chestnut rootstocks. He also applies AI and machine-learning approaches to model plant stress responses and optimize tissue culture conditions. From June 2016 to January 2017\, he worked with Prof. Dr. Dennis Fulbright at Michigan State University. He has 64 publications\, including articles in Plant Cell\, Tissue and Organ Culture\, Planta\, European Journal of Plant Pathology\, and Horticulturae\, where he served as a guest editor. He has also contributed chapters to The Chestnut Handbook and Achieving Sustainable Cultivation of Tree Nuts and was an invited speaker at the VII International Chestnut Symposium in Spain in 2023. https://avesis.omu.edu.tr/burak.akyuz URL:https://tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-chestnut-cultivation-in-turkiye/ LOCATION:CT CATEGORIES:Chestnut Chat,The American Chestnut Foundation ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://tacf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/October-9-2026-Chestnut-Cultivation-in-Turkiye-.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261010T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261010T140000 DTSTAMP:20260929T014756Z CREATED:20260929T012403Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T014756Z UID:10002212-1791626400-1791640800@tacf.org SUMMARY:American Chestnut Festival at Cumberland Mountain State Park DESCRIPTION:We’re excited to invite you to the American Chestnut Festival at Cumberland Mountain State Park. This special day is dedicated to honoring and preserving one of America’s most iconic native trees – the American chestnut – and celebrating the natural world around us. \nExplore booths and connect with: \n\nTennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)\nTennessee Division of Forestry\nCumberland County Rewilding Project\nThe American Chestnut Foundation\nFriends of CMSP\n\n11:00 AM — Dr. Hill Craddock \nDr. Craddock\, the UC Foundation Davenport Professor in Biology at UTC\, will share an update on UTC’s current research into the restoration of the American chestnut tree. \n12:00 PM — Zach Anderson \nZach Anderson\, Southern Regional Science Coordinator for The American Chestnut Foundation\, will discuss the importance of these magnificent trees and their role in our forests. \nLive planting demonstration \nSee an American chestnut planting demonstration and learn more about efforts to bring this iconic tree back to our forests. \nNative plants & local vendors \nScott Thomas of Thomas Nursery will be on-site selling native plants along with a handful of local vendors. \nFamily-friendly activities \nBring the whole family! Interpretive programs will be happening throughout the event including chestnut roasting and nature hikes. \nCome out for this one-day event and discover how each of us can do our part to conserve\, restore\, and protect the natural world. URL:https://tacf.org/event/american-chestnut-festival-at-cumberland-mountain-state-park/ LOCATION:Cumberland Mountain State Park\, 24 Office Drive\, Crossville\, TN\, United States CATEGORIES:Tennessee,The American Chestnut Foundation ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://tacf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IMG_1613.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Kacey King":MAILTO:Kacey.King@tn.gov END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261018T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261018T150000 DTSTAMP:20260929T015030Z CREATED:20260929T011140Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T015030Z UID:10002211-1792314000-1792335600@tacf.org SUMMARY:2026 UT Chattanooga Shucking Party DESCRIPTION:Please join us on Saturday in Chattanooga\, TN for a chestnut shucking party\, a fun day processing this year’s harvest of backcross American chestnut seeds! \nIn order to harvest seeds from our backcross hybrids we need to collect the burs the day before they open (because as soon as the burs open the nuts fall out and are eaten by deer\, squirrels\, wild turkeys and other neighbors). To prepare the seeds for winter\, we need to remove the chestnuts from their burs by hand (that’s the shucking part). The chestnuts are then carefully cleaned\, surface sterilized\, sorted\, counted\, and packed into a moist medium (sphagnum) to be stratified for four months at 40 F. \nPlease bring a pair of puncture-proof gloves (if you have a pair)\, and dress for the weather! \nMore details\, including location\, will be shared once you have registered and signed a waiver. URL:https://tacf.org/event/2026-ut-chattanooga-shucking-party/ LOCATION:UTC Fortwood Street Greenhouse and Nursery\, 833 Fortwood Street\, Chattanooga\, TN\, United States CATEGORIES:Tennessee,The American Chestnut Foundation ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://tacf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IMG_5040.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Zach Anderson":MAILTO:zach.anderson@tacf.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261018T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261018T180000 DTSTAMP:20260806T211406Z CREATED:20260806T210959Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T211406Z UID:10002205-1792328400-1792346400@tacf.org SUMMARY:Maryland - American Chestnut Festival DESCRIPTION:SUNDAY OCT. 18\, 2026 • 1 – 6 PM\n\nMILKHOUSE BREWERY 8253 DOLLYHYDE RD MT. AIRY\, MD 21771\n\nJoin us for the 2nd Maryland American Chestnut Festival!\n\nDiscover the remarkable work being done by the Maryland Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation to restore the iconic American chestnut tree!\n\nLearn: Meet members\, explore displays & get answers to your chestnut questions. We will have a tree planting demonstration to show how to plant a chestnut seedling or chestnut seed.\n\nTaste: Enjoy roasted chestnuts and a seasonal roasted chestnut beer from Milkhouse!\n\nShop: Buy fresh chestnuts\, seedlings\, and chapter gear – stickers\, shirts\, & caps. This year we plan to have a commemorative glass to purchase to go along with your chestnut lager. Food trucks will be on site.\n  URL:https://tacf.org/event/maryland-american-chestnut-festival/ LOCATION:Milkhouse Brewery\, 8253 Dollyhyde Rd.\, Mt. Airy\, MD\, 21771\, United States CATEGORIES:Maryland,The American Chestnut Foundation ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://tacf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/roastedchestnuts_sm.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Jeff White":MAILTO:chestnutcreekfarm@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261106T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261107T133000 DTSTAMP:20260731T165749Z CREATED:20260731T163558Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T165749Z UID:10002204-1793952000-1794058200@tacf.org SUMMARY:2026 American Chestnut Symposium and Fall Meeting: Restoration Now! DESCRIPTION:Join us to exchange ideas\, strengthen partnerships\, and keep the momentum moving forward at this year’s Symposium! It is shaping up to be a memorable event with something for every chestnut enthusiast. Click here for more info! URL:https://tacf.org/event/2026-american-chestnut-symposium-and-fall-meeting-restoration-now/ LOCATION:Crowne Plaza College Park\, 6400 Ivy Lane\, Greenbelt\, MD\, 20770 CATEGORIES:The American Chestnut Foundation ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://tacf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/symposium.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR