About Us
Our Mission
Our mission is to bring about the restoration of the American chestnut tree as a prominent part of Georgia forests.
The Georgia Chapter was founded to bring about the restoration of the American chestnut tree as a prominent part of Georgia forests by assisting the national foundation in its propagation efforts, by promoting public awareness through education and by supporting the scientific research efforts of TACF directed at restoring American chestnuts.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
President – Dr. Martin Cipollini
Vice President – Jack Rogers
Secretary – Dr. Zach Felix
Treasurer – Vince Payne
Science Coordinator – Dr. Martin Cipollini
Honorary Director – Mary Belle Price (posthumously)
Additional Board Members
Dr. Scott Merkle
Ana Metaxas
Dr. Caitlin Conn
Taryn Heidel
David Keehn
Scott Laseter
Brian Williams
James Wentworth
Partnerships
The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) and the Georgia Chapter (GaTACF) seek out partners that will not only help further its chestnut restoration program but also bring attention to the importance of the chestnut in American history. These partners include major universities, private foundations and businesses, as well as state and federal government agencies. With plantings at high-profile sites such as the Carter Center, Callaway Gardens Preserve, and the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum Project, GaTACF has been able to attract significant support from many partners throughout Georgia.
Each of our partners offers a unique perspective on chestnut restoration and gives GaTACF the best possible opportunity to be successful in its efforts to bring the American chestnut back to the forests of Georgia.
Georgia TACF Partner Organizations
- Atlanta History Center
- Berry College
- Bittersweet Gardens
- Bottletree Bees
- Byron Herbert Reece Farm & Heritage Center
- Carter Center
- Charlane Plantation
- Cloudland Vineyards
- Dalton State College
- Douglas County
- Elachee Nature Science Center
- Friends of Smithgall Woods State Park
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources
- Georgia State Parks
- Georgia Forestry Commission
- Georgia Governor’s Mansion
- Georgia Piedmont Land Trust
- Georgia State Botanical Garden
- Kennesaw State University (Research Farm)
- Kistner Center
- North Georgia Canopy Tours
- Pettit Environmental Center
- Rabun Gap Nacoochee School
- Reinhardt University
- Rising Fawn Gardens
- Runnin’ Wild Farms
- Smith-Gilbert Gardens
- The Blueberry Farm
- The Callaway Gardens Preserve
- The Carter Center
- Cherokee County Recreation & Parks
- Sandy Creek Nature Center
- The University of Georgia (UGA) Horticultural Farm
- The UGA Mountain Research & Education Center (GMREC)
- The UGA Warnell School of Forestry
- The Southern Company (Georgia Power)
- Toccoa Falls College
- Trees Atlanta and the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum
- University of North Georgia
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S.D.A. Forest Service
- Vogel State Park
- Young Harris College
FOR OUTSTANDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT WE WISH TO THANK
- Ailene Phillips Trust
- Dr. Austin Flint
- Berry College
- Eleanor & Tom Ratchford
- Georgia Appalachian Regional Commission
- Georgia State Specialty Crops Grant
- Lumpkin Coalition/Hemlockfest
- Dr. Martin Cipollini & Kathryn Patrick
- Mary Belle Price
- Rome Rotary Clubs
- Temple-Inland Foundation
- Urban & Community Forestry Commission
Georgia Chapter Menu
Georgia Facebook
We want to thank our volunteers for the fine effort given over the past two days. Including Berry College students, we had 20 different volunteers put in a total of 85 person/hrs on our small stem assay project. That’s more than two weeks work in 2 days! The data look good and we have the seedlings sorted out and back in the nursery where students watered them today.
Again, many thanks for the great work. We hope that the volunteers learned a few things while gaining some appreciation of the difficult task of breeding for blight resistance. A parallel study using the same family lines is being evaluated at UT Chattanooga this week, and the data from the two studies will be combined for data analysis. We will let everyone know what we learn from this project once the numbers are crunched and ready to be talked about! The American Chestnut Foundation
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BTW - the photo shows a stem tip of a seedling that has been subjected to a small stem assay for blight resistance. Starting at the tip, we measure the full darkened zone as well as the orange-colored zone. The larger these values are the less resistance the seedling exhibits.
Our next big event will be a volunteer opportunity at Berry College this Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct 8 and 9. We will be measuring cankers on a set of small stem assays on chestnut seedlings that we inoculated 90 days earlier. Some of you may have helped us with those inoculations.
Volunteers may arrive at any time between 9 am and 2 pm on Tuesday and between 10 am and 2 pm on Wednesday. We plan to finish each day by 5 pm. The work is very easy and no special skills are needed.
Berry College is just north of Rome on Rt. 27. Go through the Visitor Center and ask for directions to McAllister Hall. We will be around back at the southeastern corner of McAllister, near the greenhouse and nursery.
Hope to see you there! The American Chestnut Foundation
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This is a final announcement for this Thursday's Chestnutoberfest at River Remedy in Rome (4 - 9 pm). Read more about that in our separate post. We'd love to see you there!
As you may know, TACF's headquarters is in Asheville, NC. The town and much of western NC has been devastated by Hurricane Helene. TACF’s office is closed for an indefinite time frame, with power, water, and much of cell service out. As far as we know, the staff are safe, although several remain out of communication.
GA-TACF would like to encourage chestnut devotees to donate funds toward hurricane relief in western NC. Click this link to access several legitimate sites where donations will be put to good use. Thank you!
List: Ways to donate and help flood victims in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene
www.bpr.org
Hurricane Helene unleashed devastating flooding in the mountains of North Carolina. Here are ways to help local flood victims in Western North Carolina by donating relief funds or volunteering.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Latest News
GA-TACF Annual Meeting May 11, 2024
The American Chestnut Foundation Georgia Chapter (GA-TACF) Annual Meeting Announcement The Georgia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation will convene for its annual meeting on May 11th, 2024 at 10:00 AM, at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources,...
GA-TACF By-laws Update
Copied below is a draft of updated by-laws for GA-TACF that will be presented and adopted at the annual meeting at UGA, May 11. Many thanks to Scott Laseter for re-drafting these by-laws. Please excuse formatting errors and use horizontal scroll bars to read through...
American chestnut seeds available from GA-TACF
NOTE: We have allocated all of the seeds from the 2023 seed crop! We hope to run this promotion again next year (January 2025). Special offer for new or renewing GA-TACF members If you join TACF, renew a lapsed membership, or renew early plus add a donation of at...