Georgia News
Georgia Chapter Request for Volunteer Roles
GA-TACF members, collaborators, and other “chestnut” people! For many years, the Georgia chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation has relied on our general membership primarily for volunteer work in the field (pollinations, harvests, plantings, orchard care). But...
More Chestnut Seedlings for the Roy Richards Seed Orchard!
The weather was fantastic (~50 degrees and sunny) for our chestnut planting at the Roy Richards “Southern Road” seed orchard this past Saturday! We want to thank everyone who participated for the enthusiastic help (see list below). Altogether, we added ~115 hybrid...
Flint PRR Orchard Expansion Completed
Great news! The long-sought after expansion of the Austin Flint Phytophthora screening orchard has been completed. This is a critically important project many years in the making. Many thanks to all who have been involved with this project since its inception. The...
Lake Allatoona Orchard Maintenance 2020
Georgia Chestnut Enthusiasts, We just wanted to give you a quick update showing some work being done on behalf of GA-TACF in Georgia. The series of photos below show groups of U.S. Army Corps staff and public volunteers engaging in major orchard maintenance work at...
Chestnuts and the HemlockFest Virtual Festival 2020
Chestnut Enthusiasts! Check out this video "thank you" to Lumpkin Coalition and Hemlockfest music festival for their past support of GA-TACF's American chestnut restoration program. It features long-time TACF supporter and master keyboardist Chuck Leavell, as well as...
GA-TACF Spring 2020 Member meeting via Zoom
Hello Georgia chapter members! I hope you’re doing well, staying safe, and managing your way through the pandemic. Please join us via Zoom for the Georgia chapter business meeting June 9, at 7pm. The meeting will be held via Zoom, and links to various ways of...
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Hello Georgia Chestnut Enthusiasts! Another volunteer opportunity... this one is pretty urgent.
We need your help with an upgrade to our chestnut orchard in Dahlonega. Hurricane Creek is a collaborative project with the University of North Georgia Biology Department and is being used to test for resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi (black root rot disease). The orchard is progressing well, with over 100 trees in place, but we have been unsuccessful keeping the deer at bay with our electric fence. We have decided it's time to install a deer exclusion fence, similar that used at our Flint and Richards orchards. Please let us know if you can join us on for a morning shift or two to help install the fence - see dates and times. The fence goes up pretty easily and no special skills are needed. We'll provide all materials and tools, along with water and snacks.
If you can help out, please bring the following:
Hat, sunscreen, insect repellent.
Work gloves.
Water, sack lunch if desired.
Because of the heat, we'll get started each day at 8AM, and work until the heat runs us off.
Hurricane Creek is located on GA Highway 9, between Dawsonville and Dahlonega. The address is 3990 Dawsonville Hwy, Dahlonega GA, 30597. On Google Maps, maps.app.goo.gl/eTMeKLwPBEtqi2y76.
Below are the shifts for volunteers for the fence installation. Please use this link to sign up (orchard maintenance tab): theamericanchestnutfoundation.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=90470
Friday, 7/25/2025, 8AM - noon(ish), site prep work, install corner posts, layout posts, clear brush in a few areas, relocate some of the existing electric fence.
Saturday, 7/26/2025, 8AM - noon(ish), install posts, layout tarp between posts, install top polyline, install fence fabric, install bottom fabric anchors, install door.
Sunday, 7/27/2025, 8AM - noon(ish), install bottom 2' mesh, finish up.
The American Chestnut Foundation
UNG - University of North Georgia
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Work started today! Still a chance to volunteer for tomorrow or Sunday. Thanks!
We could really use some help with this folks! Please consider signing up for a shift. The work installing this type of fence is not that difficult, but we can definitely use some extra hands.
Hello Chestnutters!
On Thursday July 17 there will be a small stem assay workshop at the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Fortwood Street Greenhouse. This workshop will demonstrate how TACF tests young seedlings for blight resistance. A good number of these seedlings are from our GA breeding orchards. UTC's Dr. J Hill Craddock is looking for 10 interested participants/volunteers. No experience necessary! Please read more and sign up via this link: theamericanchestnutfoundation.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=90486
Martin Cipollini GA-TACF
The American Chestnut Foundation
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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Last week under the leadership of Karrie Ann Fadroski and Jack Rogers, another orchard work day was held at UNG's Hurricane Creek chestnut orchard. This is the site where about 100 trees were planted via direct-seeding in March. This relatively new project is a site where trees are being evaluated for their resistance to Phytophthora root rot (PRR), a devastating root rot disease sometimes called black root rot or black ink disease. Part of this round of work included weed control and part was maintenance of the electric deer fence.
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