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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.
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Any word on when this book will be available?
Amazing Achievement by Green Forests Work, Partner with many organizations, including KY Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation
Over 250,000 trees have been planted at three sites thus far in 2026, bringing Green Forests Work’s total number of trees planted to over 8 million! Green Forests Works mixes into their plantings, as many chestnut seedlings as they can acquire each year. * * * *
"GFW’s vision is to create a renewable and sustainable multi-use resource that will provide economic opportunities while enhancing the local and global environment. By converting reclaimed, non-native grasslands and shrublands into healthy, productive forestland, GFW is effectively addressing two needs of the region. Our reforestation projects provide jobs for equipment operators, nursery workers, and tree planters, and improve the environment by eradicating non-native species and restoring ecosystem services. "
There is so much more to share about Green Forests Work:
www.greenforestswork.org/
www.greenforestswork.org/_files/ugd/f07753_2f691b58747b450d82959a22c9236a48.pdf
www.facebook.com/Greenforestswork/
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Collection of dormant "Scions" from wild American Chestnuts March 3, 2026
On a day with steady rain.....another key action to help preserve KY American Chestnut DNA for future tree breeding options.
Thanks to years of searching for wild American Chestnuts and documenting them in the TreeSnap.org APP, KY Chapter President Ken Darnell was able to guide Dr. Austin Thomas of UK Forestry Dept., and KY Chapter Board Member, to several widely scattered wild American Chestnuts.
40 scions were chosen by Dr. Thomas, wrapped in wet paper towels and placed into location labeled, one gallon size baggies. These scions will be kept moist and refrigerated for around two weeks until prime grafting time.
Dr. Thomas is experimenting with grafting scions that that are a few inches long onto "large" Chinese Chestnut trees to reduce the potential of blight, and to maximize the growth of these scions into branches that will be control pollinated to produce full American nuts, with full Kentucky DNA, that can be planted into our full American GCO Orchard (Germplasm Conservation Orchard) to expand our on hand inventory of Kentucky DNA diversity.
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Looks like fun! Can't wait to see how they turn out!
Great work!