Dave Gill recalls hearing his mother reminisce about gathering fallen chestnuts in woods near her childhood home for use in stuffing at Thanksgiving.
That was in the 1920s, when the American chestnut tree was a common denizen of forests from Maine to Mississippi.
Over the last century, the stately tree — which once represented a quarter of eastern North America’s hardwood forests — has all but disappeared, the victim of a deadly blight.
Maryland residents will have an opportunity on Saturday, April 1, to help The American Chestnut Foundation in its efforts to bring the iconic species back.
Click here to read more Maryland’s volunteer event and watch a great video starring David Gill from TACF’s Maryland Chapter!