Contact us at gro.fcat@retpahCYK
About Us
Hello from the Kentucky Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation!
We are an active group of Volunteers who work together to help the national effort to restore the American Chestnut back into its native forests. With our Partners, we manage several orchards of hybrid American Chestnuts and full American Chestnuts that facilitate breeding options.
Wild American Chestnuts are still found across Kentucky in their native range forests. While an extremely small number of wild American Chestnut trees survive the blight to grow large enough to produce flowers and burrs, there are many sprouts that grow from the roots of the original trees. Take a look at the original American Chestnut Range Map. American chestnuts like well-drained, acidic sandstone soils. They do not like low acidic clay soils or soils and low areas that hold water.
We invite you to help search for wild Americans and to record them on the free ‘TreeSnap’ app. Or you can contact us via our Kentucky Chapter Facebook Page to let us know their location and if you need help to ID that your trees are full American or a Chinese or Japanese Chestnut, or a hybrid with mixed parentage. You can see general locations of wild American Chestnuts found and mapped to date on the TreeSnap website: https://treesnap.org/ Choose “MAP” from the menu to see general tree locations, with the knowledge that the app moves the exact tree locations by about five miles each to protect the individual trees and the landowners. With the “OBSERVATION CATEGORY” filter box, select “American Chestnut” to remove the visual clutter of other species that are also entered into TreeSnap.
JOIN US. Become a Member. Become a Volunteer. Click on the BECOME A MEMBER button to the right to simultaneously join the national TACF organization, plus the Kentucky Chapter. You will enjoy working beside and developing friendships with many other conservation minded people who are taking a variety of actions to do our part, along with our sister Appalachian state chestnut chapters, to restore this iconic American tree.
Kentucky Chapter Menu
Kentucky Facebook
The KY Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation had a successful and fun Annual Meeting with 34 Attending. Awesome Teamwork that began January 2026 to prepare for this get together of Kentucky "Chestnutters" * * * * * * *
ANNUAL KY TACF CHAPTER MEETING
WOODLANDS CONFERENCE CENTER, NATURAL BRIDGE STATE PARK
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2026
AGENDA
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Pick Up Name Tags, Social time, breakfast snacks and coffee
8:30-8:45 a.m. - KY President Ken Darnell introduces KY Board Members + silent auction items, with Charlie Saunders. Invitation to Membership KY Chapter tacf.org
8:45-9:30 a.m. - Ken Darnell will use “TreeSnap” MAPS to discuss wild American Chestnuts growing in Natural Bridge State Park and adjacent Red River Gorge
9:30-9:50 a.m. - Break, Social Time
9:50-10:50 a.m.- Jake Royse, RESTORATION TRIAL: 200 advanced hybrid seedlings were planted April 13, 2026 in the London District of Daniel Boone National Forest Four Way Partnership: National TACF, KY Chapter, USFS DBNF, KY Div of Forestry
10:50-11:00- a.m. Annual Elections: KY Board recommends James McCoy, USFS Land Between the Lakes Recreational Area to be approved as Vice President and Dr. Austin Thomas to be approved as Secretary. No new Board Member Nominations.
11:00-12:00 - noon TACF Regional Science Update will be presented by Dr. Austin Thomas, KY Chapter Board Member and contributing Scientist to national TACF
12:00-12:45- p.m. Lunch provided by the Kentucky Chapter and Social Time
12:45-1:15 – p.m. Final Silent Auction Bids. Announce Winners
1:15 p.m. - Optional Activities:
1. Social Time in Woodlands Center. We have the room until 9:00 pm. Socialize, play cards. Ask questions.
2. Individual hikes on one of the many trails in Natural Bridge State Park or adjacent Red River Gorge
3. Group Hike on nearby Whittleton Arch Trail to see some wild American Chestnuts located and “TreeSnapped” by Ken Darnell. Optional to hike the short side trail to Whittleton Arch.
4. Enjoy the adjacent Hemlock Lodge and Tavern, watching Alabama vs Kentucky football
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INVITATION to all Members, Prior Members and VOLUNTEERS of the Kentucky Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation to JOIN US at our 2026 ANNUAL
We have 10 seats still open for KY Chapter's ANNUAL MEETING, which will be held this year in the Woodlands Conference Center, next to the Hemlock Lodge of Natural Bridge State Park. Saturday September 12, 2026
No charge for Attendance or for Lunch ****** But first come, first serve for those few remaining seats. You do not need to be a MEMBER to attend 🙂
Attendees must RSVP to Ken Darnell, KY Chapter President. Please let us know ASAP if you can JOIN US. We must cut off RSVP's after these final 10 seats are filled. Via email: moc.liamg@45llenradnek or TEXT: 859 585 9520
.... and we INVITE YOU to BECOME A MEMBER of TACF and the Kentucky Chapter: support.tacf.org/membership
(See KY Chapter FACEBOOK): www.facebook.com/KYTACF/
Presentations include: "TreeSnaps" of wild American Chestnuts found in Natural Bridge State Park and in adjacent Red River Gorge, Update of the Partnership Planting of 200 advanced hybrid American chestnuts into the Daniel Boone National Forest April 13, 2026, the "latest science of Genomic Testing for best blight resistant hybrid Americans". We are also allocating "Social Time" for small group discussions.
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 creamy 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. Some hikes will be by individual choice. Additionally, we will guide a hike from The Hemlock Lodge that is less steep than a hike up to Natural Bridge, to see some wild American Chestnuts growing in their natural, original habitat.
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
parks.ky.gov/explore/natural-bridge-state-resort-park-7796
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.
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HELP TELL THE STORY OF AMERICAN CHESTNUT TREES IN KENTUCKY
Do you have a family story about chestnuts? Would you share it? 😃
Mark Neikirk, a retired journalist (The Kentucky Post/The Cincinnati Post) is researching a book on the conservation history along the Sheltowee Trace Trail.
The Sheltowee Trace is Kentucky's "long trail" and stretches about 354 miles from north of Morehead and south into Tennessee through the Big South Fork.
Mark will include a chapter on the American chestnut, as it was an important species along the higher ridges through which the trail passes. Indeed, some of the significant restoration efforts of the Kentucky chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation are near the Sheltowee Trace Trail. So the story continues. 🌳🌳🌳
He is currently focusing on the history of this tree in Kentucky, looking for firsthand recollections and/or records related to these topics:
1) Remembrances of chestnuts (fully alive pre-1950 or dead "ghost trees" standing in the forest after the blight began its death march).
2) Remembrances of family use of chestnuts (building, eating, trading).
3) Recipes using chestnuts, especially any that predate 1930. These may be from "grandma's" handwritten recipe collection or perhaps found in a local cookbook or a local newspaper clipping.
4) General store records proving that chestnuts were taken in trade by local grocers -- or a famiy recipe from such a trade.
5) Family letters or other family documents about chestnuts.
Mark is especially interested in stories from these counties, through which the trail passes or borders: Rowen, Menifee, Wolfe, Powell, Lee, Jackson, Laurel, Pulaski, Estill, Madison, Bath, Owsley, Clark and McCreary. Also, any Tennesee counties in the Big South Fork.
You can email Mark at: moc.liamg@1mkrikien Attach any records or write your recollections with a brief description. He can follow-up with a phone call. Call or TEXT Mark: Cell 859-801-3838.
If you don't have a memory or record to share but have a friend or neighbor who does, please ask that person to consider sharing his or hers with Mark.
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