INVITATION from the Kentucky Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation to JOIN US at our 2026 ANNUAL MEETING
Saturday September 12th at the beautiful Woodlands Conference Center adjacent to NATURAL BRIDGE STATE RESORT PARK Hemlock Lodge Next to the 29,000 acre Red River Gorge.
Agenda will be developed this summer, but we will begin the meeting with Social Hour from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. with a variety of muffins and pastries, with coffee and juices.
Deli Style lunch in the meeting room to maximize social time: Sliced turkey, ham and roast beef, an assortment of breads and cheeses, tossed garden salad or cole slaw, cookies/brownies, soft drinks and bottled water.
Presentations of action updates of national TACF and of the Kentucky Chapter will begin at 8:30 a.m., and conclude shortly after lunch, followed by optional short hikes in the area to see wild American Chestnuts, or optional social time in the meeting room.
Additionally, there are many activities in the area to enjoy: Explore | Natural Bridge State Resort Park Natural Bridge State Park, a Kentucky State Park located near Irvine, Richmond
For those who wish to stay in the lodge or one of the one or two bedroom cottages in the forest near the lodge: Kentucky State Park rules are that a Friday or Saturday reservation, MUST be for both of those nights.......We suggest that you book early as they sell out quickly.
Kentucky State Parks Lodge Reservations - Book Your Stay Reservations website
(606) 663-2214
There are also several RV campgrounds nearby.
There are no charges for admission or for the drinks, snacks and lunch that will be provided by the Kentucky Chapter. We will offer cash raffle and silent auction to help the KY Chapter offset some of the meeting costs. …and of course, donations of any size are always welcome.
Attendees must RSVP to Ken Darnell, KY Chapter President. Please let us know ASAP if you can JOIN US. We welcome "Plus Ones" * * * * *
Via email: moc.liamg@45llenradnek or Text: 859 585 9520
Kentucky Division of Forestry
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Cassie Stark, former Mid-Atlantic Regional Science Coordinator (Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia) has been promoted to TACF DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE IMPLEMENTATION. Cassie's former position as Regional Science Coordinator is now open. Also just now opening is the position of Southern Research Science Coordinator (Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama).
From Cassie:
TACF is hiring both a Mid-Atlantic and a Southern Regional Science Coordinator!
Support volunteer-led science programs, work hands-on with chestnut restoration, and connect regional chapters with national research efforts. If you have experience with tree breeding and selection programs, leading volunteer events, orchard management, or are passionate about the return of American chestnut to its native range, we encourage you to apply.
The link to apply and more details can be found here: tacf.org/employment/
@Kentucky Division of Forestry
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KENTUCKY DIVISION of FORESTRY Wins The American Chestnut Foundation 2025 PARTNER AWARD
Kentucky Division of Forestry is a motivated, hands on Partner with the Kentucky Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation. KDF maximizes their support to help restore the American Chestnut by providing land for planting, with maintenance of those trees and by allowing their field leaders to hands on assist with pollinations, nut harvest, cutting out brush and briars. KDF follows Kentucky Revised Statute KRS 149.015 to assist the national effort to develop a blight resistant American Chestnut that can be replanted into its native Forests.
Specific examples of these actions include the KDF Leaders and Rangers in the vicinity of KDF’s Morgan County Tree Nursery. The KY Chapter has three orchards there, two of which are hybrids and one is full American. Partnering with KY TACF, a wide variety of full American seedlings have been planted in KDF’s Tree Nursery. The original full American Orchard was established by KDF in Spring 2006, by digging up and replanting, 61 small wild Americans from several locations on KDF properties on Pine Mountain and Daniel Boone National Forest’s Tater Knob, west of Cave Run Lake.
Over the last two years, KDF personnel have assisted the KY Chapter to plant newly developed full wild American seedlings from other areas of Kentucky, by digging oversize planting holes, and by keeping the seedlings fertilized and watered. KDF keeps all three orchards mowed and protected by a deer fence with high gates around their 18 acre facility. KDF partners with the KY Chapter in cutting out briars and non chestnut tree sprouts that grow up next to the variety of chestnut trees. They are supportive to keep adding new seedlings, as developed.
KDF also schedules their summer interns to work a day with the KY Chapter and the chestnut trees in Morgan County to learn about TACF’s actions to develop blight resistant American Chestnut trees.
KDF allows KY TACF full access to these orchards, during KDF working hours, for our required tasks and checks of the variety of chestnut trees planted there.
KDF also partners in their Morgan County Tree Nursery, with our Partners, USFS Northern and Southern Research Stations, in research projects for both chestnuts and white oaks (which are very important in Kentucky to replenish the forests with quality white oak trees to support the barrel makers who supply the huge Kentucky bourbon industry).
KDF has partnered with the KY Chapter to guide us to larger wild American Chestnuts in Eastern Kentucky where they have observed those trees, or have learned of such trees from landowners in the region.
Additionally, KDF’s Adair and Taylor County team members have protected the 49” X 70’ full LSA American “Adair County American Chestnut” in central Kentucky by respecting the landowner’s wishes to allow a limited number of qualified people to access the tree, and have helped many times over a period of 20 plus years to pollinate female flowers and to harvest the resulting fertile nuts.
All of the supporting KDF Team members are trained, experienced and action oriented to complete these many important tasks in quick time. They all share the desire to “Make a Difference” for our next generations * * * * * 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳
#americanchestnut
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