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KY TACF Partnership with USFS Daniel Boone National Forest

Thank you Scott Ray for inviting us to attend DBNF Annual Meeting held at Berea College

Dr. Ellen Crocker, Scott Ray, and Ken Darnell, KY TACF Board Members, conducted a presentation on TreeSnap and the State University of New York’s “Darling 58” transgenic American Chestnut to 120 plus leaders of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

We asked for their help to find and “Snap” more wild American Chestnuts across all of the Forest, especially “larger” trees of three inches and greater dbh (diameter breast high)

https://treesnap.org/

We also presented Hybrid American Chestnut Seedlings to Scott Ray, DBNF Supervisor and Brad Turberville, Deputy DBNF Supervisor for an educational planting on “The Boone”.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/dbnf

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter
3 weeks ago
The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

Eastern Kentucky University Has Won a 2024 American Chestnut Foundation Partner Award * * * *

Presented at The American Chestnut Foundation's Annual Meeting held in Cromwell, Connecticut in October 2024.

The Eastern KY University Team has been an awesome Partner over the last nine years. EKU has Partnered with KY TACF to develop a Regional Chestnut Seed Orchard on their Taylor Fork Ecological Area just south of campus. 3700 B3F2 seedlings (Averaging 94% American and 6% Chinese genes) were planted in a 2.5 acre deer fenced enclosure, to be evaluated and thinned down to the best 40 or so BEST trees that will be used for next phase of breeding for the goal of developing American Chestnut trees with enough blight resistance to be replanted in their original Forests.

The TACF / EKU Hybrid American Chestnut Orchard is "Golden" to the National and to the Kentucky efforts, not only for its production, but also as an educational area for EKU Biology students who come to the orchard to help on Volunteer Days, and get an education from KY Chapter and National TACF leaders with whom they are working side by side. Over those nine years, a huge variety of Volunteers have helped in this Orchard. AWESOME TEAMWORK.

Eastern Kentucky University, and other KY Partners and Volunteers, were nominated by Ken Darnell, KY TACF Chapter President. ... See MoreSee Less

Eastern Kentucky University Has Won a 2024 American Chestnut Foundation Partner Award * * * * Presented at The American Chestnut Foundations Annual Meeting held in Cromwell, Connecticut in October 2024. The Eastern KY University Team has been an awesome Partner over the last nine years. EKU has Partnered with KY TACF to develop a Regional Chestnut Seed Orchard on their Taylor Fork Ecological Area just south of campus. 3700 B3F2 seedlings (Averaging 94% American and 6% Chinese genes) were planted in a 2.5 acre deer fenced enclosure, to be evaluated and thinned down to the best 40 or so BEST trees that will be used for next phase of breeding for the goal of developing American Chestnut trees with enough blight resistance to be replanted in their original Forests. The TACF / EKU Hybrid American Chestnut Orchard is Golden to the National and to the Kentucky efforts, not only for its production, but also as an educational area for EKU Biology students who come to the orchard to help on Volunteer Days, and get an education from KY Chapter and National TACF leaders with whom they are working side by side. Over those nine years, a huge variety of Volunteers have helped in this Orchard. AWESOME TEAMWORK. Eastern Kentucky University, and other KY Partners and Volunteers, were nominated by Ken Darnell, KY TACF Chapter President.
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  • likes love wow 44
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2 CommentsComment on Facebook

Thank you so much for your work

Woohoo!!! 🙌

The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter
1 month ago
The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

A productive TEAM WORK DAY at the TACF / EKU REGIONAL HYBRID CHESTNUT SEED ORCHARD Saturday October 26, 2024

Volunteers.....lots of TEAMWORK. "Many Hands Make Light Work":

Jake Royse, Robert Griffin, Amos Stone, Jimmie Sizemore, Davida Isaacs, Aleshia Isaacs, Patti Darnell, Ken Darnell

Actions completed:

1. Patti Darnell filled up 40 one gallon milk jugs with rain water caught in rain barrels in Mt Sterling. Ken watered all seedlings, for the 8th or 9th time this year.
2. Jake Royse and Jimmie Sizemore ran their chain saws to cut out 20 more scattered dead trees, on top of the 149 dead trees cut out on October 5th's VOLUNTEER WORK DAY
3. Jake Royse ran weed eater around the seedlings planted May 1st.
4. Amos Stone, Jimmie Sizemore, Davida Isaacs, Aleshia Isaacs, added fresh ribbons to the black nylon deer fence to warn birds.
5. Robert Griffin flew his drone to take updated overhead photos of the Orchard and our surviving 349 trees out of 3,675 planted or 9.5% .

We will continue to evaluate and cut out trees until we are down to our "BEST" 1% to 2% of the trees, to use them for next breeding plans. * * * * * * *

Photos by Ken Darnell

Thank You to two of our newest KY Chapter Members and Volunteers, from Lexington, KY, Davida Isaacs and her daughter Aleshia. 🙂

Thank You to Tandy Deskins, EKU Grounds TEAM, for recently mowing the Orchard. That helps our trees, and makes for an easier work day ***** ... See MoreSee Less

A productive TEAM WORK DAY at the TACF / EKU REGIONAL HYBRID CHESTNUT SEED ORCHARD Saturday October 26, 2024 Volunteers.....lots of TEAMWORK. Many Hands Make Light Work: Jake Royse, Robert Griffin, Amos Stone, Jimmie Sizemore, Davida Isaacs, Aleshia Isaacs, Patti Darnell, Ken Darnell Actions completed: 1. Patti Darnell filled up 40 one gallon milk jugs with rain water caught in rain barrels in Mt Sterling. Ken watered all seedlings, for the 8th or 9th time this year. 2. Jake Royse and Jimmie Sizemore ran their chain saws to cut out 20 more scattered dead trees, on top of the 149 dead trees cut out on October 5ths VOLUNTEER WORK DAY 3. Jake Royse ran weed eater around the seedlings planted May 1st. 4. Amos Stone, Jimmie Sizemore, Davida Isaacs, Aleshia Isaacs, added fresh ribbons to the black nylon deer fence to warn birds. 5. Robert Griffin flew his drone to take updated overhead photos of the Orchard and our surviving 349 trees out of 3,675 planted or 9.5% . We will continue to evaluate and cut out trees until we are down to our BEST 1% to 2% of the trees, to use them for next breeding plans. * * * * * * * Photos by Ken Darnell Thank You to two of our newest KY Chapter Members and Volunteers, from Lexington, KY, Davida Isaacs and her daughter Aleshia. 🙂 Thank You to Tandy Deskins, EKU Grounds TEAM, for recently mowing the Orchard. That helps our trees, and makes for an easier work day *****Image attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment
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  • likes love 22
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5 CommentsComment on Facebook

Greatjob crew! I wish I coulda been there to help.

I belive I have two American chestnut trees on my property in Adair Co Ky.

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter
2 months ago
The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

WE ARE "GO" FOR SATURDAY MORNING OCTOBER 26TH at TACF / EKU Partnership Regional Chestnut Seed Orchard VOLUNTEER WORK DAY and Orchard Tour

The weather forecast is PERFECT * * * * * * *

See details in POST below.

Ken Darnell, KY Chapter President ... See MoreSee Less

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