The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

2 days ago

200 Three foot tall Hybrid American Chestnuts Planted Back Into USFS Daniel Boone National in a Restoration Trial Planting * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * April 13, 2026

Awesome Partnership Teamwork!!! 😃

National TACF, USFS Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky Chapter of TACF, Kentucky Division of Forestry Morgan County Tree Nursery and USFS Forest Fire Engine Crew from Bridger-Teton National Forest, coordinated and each took a piece of the actions to harvest the hybrid nuts, grow the seedlings, clear the planting area, layout spacing and augering the 200 twelve inch deep planting holes, plant the seedlings, and install four foot ventilated rodent/deer protection tubes with bird safety mesh sleeves. * * * * *

The Kentucky Chapter purchased the ventilated protective tubes and anchor stakes, thanks to previous donations from George and Betty Gibbs, Louisville, for such projects.

All of that pre work was completed over the prior six months, with the planting event on Monday morning April 13, 2026. "Many Hands Make Light Work" 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

This is one of multiple Restoration Trial Plantings planned across the original range of American Chestnuts to test survival and growth of different breeding lines under natural conditions, that include forest soils, mixed degrees of sunlight, ability to compete with other young forest trees, and degree of blight resistance in our current hybrid generation. This planting is on a well drained, sandstone soil, oak ridge at 1220 feet elevation in "The Boone".

Sequential tree tags numbered 1-200 were inserted on wire stakes and placed at the foot of each tree tube. The seedlings will be monitored with data collected regularly on progress of these 200 seedlings.

The Kentucky Chapter and our several key Partners work hard and often long hours, which "Become Play" when we have the opportunity to work side by side with so many people who care about the future of our forests.

In appreciation, the KY Chapter of TACF, donated five nice hybrid 15/16th's American Chestnuts with rodent shelters, to be planted at one of their District Offices for Public Education. 😃🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

Kenton County Conservation District, Kentucky ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

5 days ago

Work Day #3 to graft wild full American Chestnut scions onto Chinese trees in TACF / EKU Regional Hybrid Chestnut Orchard:

First Day was March 3, 2026. Ken Darnell guided Dr. Austin Thomas to several "Tree Snapped" wild full Americans in various sections of Red River Gorge (with permission of Scott Ray, USFS DBNF). Collected 56 scions. Stored in moist paper towels in Austin's refrigerator until conditions were optimum to graft in TACF / EKU Orchard.

Second Day was March 20. Austin chose the best five Chinese Chestnuts at the Orchard for "Top Grafting". (Planted for Controls of the SSA Seedlings Project) He practiced techniques on a dead American Hybrid. With permission of Cassie Stark, Ken cut out the other 12 Controls Chinese Chestnuts (which will prevent cross pollination with our B3F2 Hybrids). They have completed their designed purpose.

Third Day was Friday April 10. Austin and Ken cut off the chosen five Chinese Chestnuts for top grafting, leaving minimal side branches. Austin grafted the Red River Gorge full American scions onto those five Chinese Chestnuts. Clint Patterson joined us to see the Grafting Techniques. See PHOTOS.

Austin has researched similar grafting techniques in other nut trees. His goal is 50% successful grafts with full American branches growing quickly on these "large" Chinese Chestnuts, with the added advantage that the Chinese stems will resist the blight, thus keeping a strong energy source for the grafts. We hope to see nuts developing in 3 years, via controlled pollinations with full American pollen. Those selected full American pollinations can produce seedlings with a variety of full American DNA to be added to our Partnership Germplasm Conservation Orchard of full American Chestnuts with a diversity of Kentucky DNA, in KY Div of Forestry's Morgan County Tree Nursery.

Thank you Austin for your many hours invested in this project !!!!!!

Fingers crossed * * * * * * ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

3 weeks ago

Professional writer and dedicated hiker, Mark Neikirk, is writing a book on the 340 plus mile Sheltowee Trace Trail that includes a chapter on the American Chestnut in Kentucky. The Sheltowee passes through the Big South Fork NRRA in Tennessee, and the full length of the USFS Daniel Boone National Forest.

Mark's work on that Chapter is fully supported and cheered on by the Kentucky Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation.

Mark is looking for people who remember the chestnuts pre-1950 in these counties: Rowan, Jackson, Menifee, Wolfe, Powell, Lee, Pulaski, Rockcastle, or Whitley (counties through which the Sheltowee Trace Trail passes).

Any written records (family photos or letters or oral histories) would also be helpful. Reach Mark at moc.liamg@1mkrikien ....... or via Facebook Messenger. If those connections fail, email: moc.liamg@45llenradnek .... and I will connect you all. ... See MoreSee Less