The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

1 day ago

Saturday June 28th VOLUNTEER WORK DAY at TACF / EKU Regional Chestnut Orchard

VOLUNTEER WORK DAY at TACF / EKU Orchard to cut out the many 1-2 year old stump sprouts that have grown from root systems of trees selected and cut out over the last two years.

We will start at 9:00 am ET. Will finish before 1:00 pm. Those who can join us, please RSVP: theamericanchestnutfoundation.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=90472

We need Chain Saw, and Weed Eater operators, as well as hand pruner / loppers operators. Also need people to drag cut trees to our brush piles. Also happy to see people who want to come out and “hug on” our ‘BETTER TREES’ that are now in their 9th growing season. 😊 Our goal is to have 10 Volunteers….but more is “AOK”

Also, please bring sun hats, tick spray, tools, drinks, snacks/lunch. Bring light rain gear, just in case ***

If you cannot make this Action Event, but would like to pre-register for future Volunteer Action Events, we invite you to sign our on line ‘INTERESTED KY VOLUNTEER FORM and WAIVER’ at: tacf.org/volunteer/

theamericanchestnutfoundation.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=9047

Hannah Leeper TACF ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

2 days ago

Catkins are in Prime Ripeness at TACF / EKU Regional Chestnut Seed Orchard, Richmond, KY

Photos by KY TACF Member and EKU Facilities Team, Tandy Deskins, Co-Orchard Manager, checked on our orchard Friday June 13, 2025, mowed between all trees and seedlings, and checked status of male catkins.

We have evaluated all 3650 trees planted in this orchard, and have cut out all but 350, or the "Better" 9.5%. We recently collected leaf samples from the surviving 350 for genomic testing, to further evaluate which trees have the best genes for some blight resistance. These trees are, on average, 94% American genes and 6% or so Chinese Chestnut genes, trying to maximize American characteristics with some Chinese Chestnut resistance inherited. We will continue to select and cut until we are down to our "BEST" 1-2%, which will then be pollinated with other "BEST" hybrids, to develop the next generation of hybrid American Chestnuts.

See: tacf.org/tree-breeding/

We invite you to JOIN US to get involved with the many ACTIONS underway to help the National Efforts to Restore the American Chestnut *** support.tacf.org/membership Select "Kentucky Chapter" ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

3 weeks ago

LEAF SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM 350 TREES in TACF / EKU Partnership Chestnut Seed Orchard, Richmond, KY Recurrent Genomic Selection (RGS) tacf.org/tree-breeding/

Thank you to the Volunteers who completed this large Action Project (over a
three day period): Saturday May 17, Wednesday May 21, Thursday May 22.

Cassie Stark, TACF Charlottesville, VA Office Alisa Prasertphon, TACF Charlottesville, VA Office Patti Darnell, KY TACF, Mt. Sterling, KY Ken Darnell, KY TACF, Mt. Sterling, KY Tandy Deskins, EKU Facilities Team and KY TACF Richmond, KY Robert Griffin, KY TACF, Crittenden, KY Walter Rybka and Sister, KY TACF, Morehead, KY Dana Nelson, University of Kentucky Dr. Austin Thomas, US Forest Service, Southern Research Station Abigail West, University of Kentucky Jared Calvert, USFS Daniel Boone National Forest Jacob Royce, USFS Daniel Boone National Forest Rachel Hartline, USFS Daniel Boone National Forest Eric Sizemore, USFS Daniel Boone National Forest

Day One: 3,489 hybrid American Chestnut tree positions across the full
orchard were "planting spot" counted, with the 350 standing trees
numbered with a lumber latex paint marker, by Ken and Patti Darnell. This
allowed Count Work Sheets to be pre printed by Cassie and Alisa.

Day Two: Cassie (TACF Regional Science Coordinator) and Alisa (TACF
Summer Intern) traveled from Charlottesville, VA to EKU Orchard to complete
pre work and planning for the biggest day coming on Thursday May 22nd.
Tandy Deskins mowed the orchard again for the second time in two weeks to
have the grounds totally ready for collecting leaf samples.

Day Three: Thursday morning beginning 9:00 am, Cassie teaches the leaf sampling and data collection process to our awesome Volunteer TEAM. See Photos of leaf sample collection, with three
Collection TEAMS. *****

Cassie estimates that leaf samples will be completed late 2025. The
results will be used to cut out the lesser blight resistant trees in Spring
2026, to continue our selection down to the best 1-2% of the trees that will
be kept for "next generation" breeding.

Awesome TEAM Work from a variety of Partners, Volunteers, TACF Members. * * * * * * * ... See MoreSee Less

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