The Georgia Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation

2 weeks ago

The Georgia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation Annual Meeting

GA-TACF will hold its annual meeting on April 12, 2025, starting at 10:00 AM at Kennesaw State University (see directions below). Chapter members are invited and encouraged to attend, and the public is also invited.

Although we will briefly address some business matters, most of the meeting will be devoted to presentations related to our work helping to restore American chestnuts in GA. The meeting is free of charge and open to the public.

Please register your attendance by reserving admission via the Eventbrite site below. Pre-registration via the Eventbrite site is encouraged and is free, however, lunch orders must be made using the Eventbrite site (no later than April 5). Please state your box lunch choice upon checkout. Choices are Ham, Turkey, or Roast Beef Sandwich (all on wheat bread) or Caesar Salad or Garden Salad.

Register and pre-purchase box lunches via this Eventbrite link:
www.eventbrite.com/e/georgia-chapter-of-the-american-chestnut-foundation-annual-meeting-tickets-1...

Agenda:

Morning session, 10:00 AM – NOON (tiered classroom on the first floor in the Prillaman Health Sciences Building - HS1105), Wellstar College of Health and Human Services, 520 Parliament Garden Way NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144

1) Welcome and Introduction (Dr. Martin Cipollini + KSU Faculty or Staff welcoming us to KSU)
2) Chapter business meeting:
a. Election of chapter directors, Scott Laseter (Governance Committee chair)
b. Budget report, Vince Payne (Treasurer)
c. Science update, Dr. Martin Cipollini (President and Science Coordinator)
4) An update from TACF, Jamie van Clief (Southern Regional Science Coordinator)
5) Comparing Leaf Microbiomes and Traits of American, Chinese, and Hybrid Chestnuts, Katherine Dobson and Dr. Mario Bretfeld, KSU.
6) Brainstorming session focused on ways to facilitate cooperative research between KSU and GA-TACF, and its partners.

Lunch break and Afternoon Session, 12:30 - ? (Kennesaw State University Field Station – Farm, 1875 Hickory Grove Rd NW, Acworth, GA 30102)

1) Pre-ordered box lunches will be delivered to the event, catered by Classy Clay’s. Tickets for box lunches must be purchased via the Eventbrite site by April 5. Again, lunch choices are Ham, Turkey, or Roast Beef Sandwich (all on wheat bread) or Caesar Salad or Garden Salad.
2) Tour of the facilities at the KSU Research Station and its chestnut orchard.
3) GA-TACF board members will meet at the end of the day to hold a brief in-person meeting.

We hope to see you there! Please help spread the word.

Dr. Martin Cipollini
GA-TACF President

P.S. This event is co-sponsored by KSU’s Office of Research

Directions to meeting sites:

To travel from I-75S to Kennesaw State University’s Central Parking Deck, follow these directions:

1 Take Exit 271 for Chastain Road.
2 Turn left onto Chastain Road NW (if coming from I-75 South).
3 Turn right onto Frey Road.
4 Turn left onto Parliament Garden Way and proceed straight to enter the parking deck, free of charge.
5 To make your way to the meeting, you’ll keep to the right when walking out of the parking deck. You’ll enter the Prillaman Health Sciences Building, the first building to your right, through the glass doors. Proceed down the hallway until you see the registration table. The event will be held in room HS1105.


To travel from Kennesaw State University’s Central Parking Deck to the KSU Field Station, at 1875 Hickory Grove Rd NW, Acworth, GA 30102, follow these directions:

1 After exiting the parking deck, start by turning left onto Frey Road.
2 Turn left to onto George Busbee Pkwy NW.
Continue for approximately 1.5 miles before turning right onto Wade Green Road NW.
3 Turn left onto Hickory Grove Road NW.
4 Continue for about 0.5 miles to 1875 Hickory Grove Rd NW, which will be on your left.

The American Chestnut Foundation ... See MoreSee Less

Georgia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation Annual Meeting

www.eventbrite.com

The annual meeting of GA-TACF will take place April 12 at KSU. Please register (free) and pre-order lunch here!

The Georgia Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation

4 weeks ago

GA-TACF Members and other Chestnut Enthusiasts:

We had wonderful success at our recent seedling and seed distribution events. Many thanks to all who helped, came out in person, or logged on to donate! To those who got seedlings from us, please report back to us from time to time. We'd love to know how they fare. To those awaiting seeds in the mail, please watch for email messages toward the end of the month as we prepare to send them out.

We also want to forewarn you about two upcoming events, one good and one bad.

First the good thing: GA-TACF's annual meeting will be held at Kennesaw State University on Saturday April 12 starting at 10 am. The full agenda will be shared later, but will include lunch and a tour at the nearby KSU Research Station where there is a small pure American chestnut orchard (germplasm conservation orchard). Members and non-members alike are invited. The event itself is free with an option to pre-pay for lunch via the electronic invitation (Eventbrite). Please watch for the invitation, which will include the full agenda, by early- to mid-March.

Now the not-so-good thing: In a few weeks our annual Ambrosia beetle season will be upon us and generally lasts from about late Feb to mid-April depending upon the weather. Young chestnuts (1/2 inch to 3 inches in diameter) are susceptible. Read here for more information on what to look for and how you might help things if you have trees in this size range: tacf.org/ga-news/ambrosia-beetle-time-is-upon-us/

Stay warm! Martin Cipollini, President GA-TACF

The American Chestnut Foundation ... See MoreSee Less

Ambrosia beetle time is upon us! | The American Chestnut Foundation

tacf.org

Ambrosia beetles may soon appear in our chestnut orchards. These beetles normally start wood boring activity as soon as we get three 70oF days in a row in the early spring (usually early March in Geor...