How You Can Help
If you are looking to volunteer some of your time, talent or treasure to help in the restoration of the American chestnut, you’ve come to the right place! Please email TCAF Indiana President Glenn Kotnik at gro.fca@retpahcni to learn about some of the upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Volunteer Activities
The chapter hosts occasional tree plantings and maintenance, and we would love to have you participate. We also are seeking volunteers to share our chapter activities and education opportunities through our blog.
Leadership Positions
The Indiana Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation has opportunities to serve in leadership roles on its board of directors as well as in officer positions in the chapter. For more information, please contact Glenn Kotnik.
Make a Donation
As a volunteer driven organization, we are extremely grateful to our many volunteers, sponsors and partners. The Indiana Chapter’s current wish list items are:
- Digital camera
- Mounted turkey or squirrel for displays
- Printer cartridges
- AA batteries
- Mailing Labels, Address Labels
- Binoculars
- Fiberglass, telescoping measuring pole
- Laptop for presentations
- Office Laminator
- A Chapter truck
- Towing supplies for the Chapter truck
- Food/Drink donations for volunteer events
To donate an individual item, contact Glenn Kotnik at gro.fca@retpahcni. To make a monetary donation to the Indiana chapter, click here.
Membership
Join the American Chestnut Foundation, and you can select to also automatically become a member of the Indiana chapter. Click here to become a member.
Indiana Chapter Menu
National Facebook
Lesesne State Forest is 422 acres, and lies next to Three Ridges Wilderness Area in Nelson County, VA. TACF and VA Department of Forestry partner in managing and breeding chestnuts here for restoration. TACF hosted our partners and national board members on a tour of the orchard in mid-November.
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This beautiful state forest is a must-visit for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts!
Cool. I planted 56 Dunstan chestnuts on Nov. 3 in damp peat moss. I have to transfer to potting soil soon, they're all sprouting. And I mean it looks like every single nut has germinated.
Going here for the first time, seeing all the big American Chestnuts and also watching Bill Deeter 's videos and pictures of his trees convinced me that it is possible to breed resistance into American chestnuts! We got this folks
We’re on the Naturally Scott Podcast!
Our President & CEO sat down with Scott to talk about the past, present, and future of the American chestnut — from its historic role in Appalachia to the cutting-edge science driving restoration today.
- Why the roots never died
- The cutting-edge science behind restoration
- Why volunteers and donors are leading this effort
Watch the full episode now and join us in bringing back America’s iconic tree:
www.youtube.com/@NaturallyScott
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naturallyscott/id1830513032
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🐛 Large silk moth caterpillar native to North America, not a threatened species fairly common *but beautiful.
🌳 Tree is a wild American chestnut planted for a PRR fungicide trial in Clemson, SC.
Photo credit: Celeste Giles, Research Associate with the Plant and Environment Sciences Department at Clemson
#americanchestnut #explore #nature #bugs #chestnuts #caterpillar
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Can you tell us more about the PRR fungicide trial?
So cool. Curious if the funguscide harms the catepillar and insects?
Speaking of threat, our local university has discovered the chestnut weevil is not extinct as was thought. www.actionnews5.com/2025/12/08/uofm-researchers-rediscover-weevil-believed-be-extinct-thanks-phot...
In celebration of GivingTuesday, TACF’s Board of Directors and President & CEO Michael Goergen came together to issue a matching gift challenge. The original goal was $5,000, but because of their collective passion and generosity a total of $18,125 has been raised, making the impact of your gift even greater. If that amount is reached, it will double to $36,250! Visit the link in our bio to donate.
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Join the VA chapter for a science presentation, orchard tour and seed give away! This meeting is open to the public and will take place on December 6th at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve from 1pm-4pm.
Stop by and get some free wild-type American chestnut seeds!
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What kind of American chestnut seeds?
Very cool! Have fun everyone who can go!
their is one kind only