Indiana News

Tree evaluation and sample collection at Jackson-Washington State Forest

On May 22, a group of volunteers assembles at Jackson-Washington State Forest. Sara Fitzsimmons, the chapter’s regional science coordinator and Steven Hoy, who manages the chestnut orchard at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania attended. Sara is also at Penn State and is the TACF director of restoration as well.

The purpose of their visit was to evaluate the trees that the chapter had planted in 2003 at Jackson Washington and collect samples of fresh spring leaves from the best of these trees to perform DNA sequencing on.

The chestnut trees in this planting were from the chapter’s backcross breeding program under the guidance of Bruce Wakeland and Jim McKenna. They were B3F1 hybrids, meaning that first a pure Indiana American chestnut was crossed with a pure Chinese chestnut tree, the F1 part. Then the offspring were selected and “backcrossed” 3 times with pure American chestnuts. Finally, the most American appearing and most blight tolerant trees were  selected and planted in 2003 in the Shipley Tract at JWSF. Now, almost 20 years later it is possible to rate each tree according to its degree of blight tolerance and its American chestnut appearance. leaves from best of these trees were collected and sent for DNA studies to determine the percent of American and Chinese genetics in each tree. The overall best trees will be used for further breeding of blight tolerant chestnuts.

A number of Indiana chapter volunteers attended and their help was extremely valuable. The various tasks could be assigned to small teams and this made the work go quickly. We thank them for their time and efforts.

Bruce Wakeland, Sara Fitzsimmons, and volunteers are examining a chestnut tree:

Sara Fitzsimmons, Indiana Chapter Regional Science Coordinator and TACF Director of Restoration, measures the height of a chestnut tree with an optical instrument:

Sara Fitzsimmons and volunteers are examining a resprouting chestnut:

Steven Hoy, manager of chestnut orchard at Penn State, and Ron Doyle, long term chapter volunteer:

Bruce Wakeland, Indiana chapter founder and current chapter treasurer:

 

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9 CommentsComment on Facebook

What wonderful work you are doing.

When you guys want volunteers to plant 🌱 baby chestnut 🌰 trees let me know. I will plant in my area and have friends that would love to volunteer

I pray they all will be successfully planted

Which campus?

What do you do with them after you harvest them? I love to eat them but the worms bear me to them most of the time

Wish I was closer I would love to help .

Where can I get established American chestnut seedlings 🌱 for my property?

We want some seedlings to plant in Bedford pa

Send me a few, I've got 5 Acers in Ga.

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2 days ago
The American Chestnut Foundation

Great news: a special Chestnut Chat featuring student flash talks and a virtual poster session is taking place on October 20, 2023. This Chat will provide opportunities for students and professionals alike to share cutting-edge research, explore partnerships, and discuss the many facets of American chestnut restoration through a series of flash talks and a poster presentation. All are welcome to participate – student and professional alike.
There will be special opportunities for students to give flash talks, as well as participate in a student poster competition. This year, students participating in the poster competition must also present a flash talk. We hope you will join us!

Submissions are due by Friday, September 29, 2023. Please visit the link in comments for detailed information.

We encourage you to share this post with any colleagues who may be interested.
... See MoreSee Less

Great news: a special Chestnut Chat featuring student flash talks and a virtual poster session is taking place on October 20, 2023. This Chat will provide opportunities for students and professionals alike to share cutting-edge research, explore partnerships, and discuss the many facets of American chestnut restoration through a series of flash talks and a poster presentation. All are welcome to participate – student and professional alike.
There will be special opportunities for students to give flash talks, as well as participate in a student poster competition. This year, students participating in the poster competition must also present a flash talk. We hope you will join us!

Submissions are due by Friday, September 29, 2023. Please visit the link in comments for detailed information.

We encourage you to share this post with any colleagues who may be interested.

Watch a recording of the live September 15,
2023 Chestnut Chat webinar about Darling
58 regulatory updates.
TACF's Chief Conservation Officer Sara Fitzsimmons and SUNY ESF’s American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project Director Andy Newhouse, along with others, shared the latest updates about the current status of the Darling 58 transgenic American chestnut.

... See MoreSee Less

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