The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

1 day ago

Kentucky Chapter Partnered with Kentucky Division of Forestry, UK Forestry Department, Greenup High School FFA Chapter, and several other Conservation Groups at "WOODS and WILDLIFE for YOUR WALLET" February 26, 2026 This was the 10th Annual event.

Greenup County is within the original range of the American Chestnut in northeast Kentucky.

Thank you Bill Knott, KDF Chief Forester Morehead Branch for inviting us. 😃

First photo shows veteran KDF Ranger and KY Chapter Board Member with Ken Darnell, KY Chapter President, talking with interested "Chestnutters" at KY TACF Display Table. We picked up 12 people who signed our request form for more information, which will quickly be emailed to them.

Greenup High School FFA coordinated a wonderful BBQ dinner for all.

Presentations were conducted in three different classrooms, every 45 minutes, allowed attendees to choose three out of nine presentations to attend. See last photo with Presentation Schedule.

Besides meeting new people interested in the work of national TACF and of the Kentucky Chapter's work, we were able to "catch up" with several veteran Partners and Volunteers. * * * * *

Door prizes donated by the participating organizations, and were given away after the last round of Presentations. Kentucky Chapter donated two groups of three germinating full American Chestnuts with rodent shelters and stakes, plus two dormant seedlings with shelters and stakes.

@Kentucky Division of Forestry ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

1 week ago

Grafting wild Full American Chestnut Scions onto Chinese Chestnut Trees in TACF / EKU Hybrid Orchard, Richmond, KY February 19, 2026

Kentucky Chapter Board Member, Dr. Austin Thomas, preparing to graft full American Chestnut scions, from our "TreeSnap" Inventory. He has successful grafting experience with other tree species.

American Chestnuts are difficult to graft and keep alive long enough to produce nuts. Dr. Thomas will use larger diameter scions of 6 mm up to 12 mm (nearly 1/2") that we will collect in early March from wild trees, to then graft on higher, fast growing branch tips on a few Chinese Chestnuts planted in the TACF / EKU as "Process Controls".

Chinese Chestnuts are healthy and resistant to the blight to provide the best possible growth energy to the American scions added to the tips of branches that are receiving full sunlight. Grafting wax and grafting tape will be applied to the graft union to maximize strength of these larger scions. Additionally, a cellophane bag will be placed over the union to increase temperature.

We realize that successful grafting per centages are typically low........Goal is to develop a few full American branches that will produce Controlled Pollinated nuts, with selected father pollen, quickly, in perhaps three years. Those valuable nuts will then be planted in our Full American KY DNA Germplasm Conservation Orchard at KY Division of Forestry's Morgan County Tree Nursery.

Dr. Thomas is a Scientist at UK Forestry Department, primarily working on the genetics of the White Oak Initiative, and also dedicates some of his valuable time to work on Chestnut Research Projects with TACF Scientists and Science Partners. He received his PhD at North Carolina State in Forestry and Environmental Resources, Minor in Entomology.

The last photo shows KY Chapter President Ken Darnell evaluating with Dr. Thomas, several of our BETTER hybrid Americans in the EKU Orchard. We will continue to cut out lower blight resistant trees until only our BEST 1% remain (about 40 trees out of 3,650 planted). Those few BEST trees will be utilized in next round of breeding for increased blight resistance in the next generation of orchard trees. ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation - Kentucky Chapter

2 weeks ago

KY Chapter with Partners, Eastern KY University Biology Department and Bernheim Forest 2/12/26

EKU Biology Department Greenhouse, Richmond, KY

EKU's Dr. Jennifer Koslow (and V.P. of the KY TACF Chapter), with Elijah Rosenbaum, Bernheim Forest Horticulturalist whose work includes Bernheim's Trees of Concern, and Ken Darnell, (KY Chapter President) potted nuts from a variety of full American Chestnuts to plant around May 1st to add to our Kentucky DNA full American Chestnut Germplasm Conservation Orchard at our Partner Kentucky Division of Forestry's Morgan County Tree Nursery. Elijah has just joined us as an active, motivated Volunteer to assist in the actions required to help the national efforts to develop a blight resistant American Chestnut. * * * *

Ken Darnell presented to Bernheim Forest via Elijah, two recent editions of The American Chestnut Foundations CHESTNUT JOURNAL Magazine, and 25 hybrid nuts from our TACF/EKU hybrid breeding orchard, from trees #1906 and #646, two of our "Better" specimens. Photos show Elijah hands on at those two trees, followed by a big "Tree Hug" to another specimen of our "Better" trees. * * * * Gifts to Bernheim Forest to consider for Public Education planting. 🌳🌳🌳🌳

Bernheim Forest Trees of Concern

Bernheim Forest is actively working to protect several trees of concern, including the oak tree, black walnut, and American chestnut. These trees are facing various threats such as habitat loss, climate change, and diseases like thousand cankers disease and chestnut blight. The Forest is committed to promoting oak regeneration and protecting these species through research and stewardship efforts. Additionally, Bernheim Forest has been granted national accreditation by the Plant Collections Network of the American Public Gardens Association, allowing them to collaborate with other institutions to save these trees and their habitats. bernheim.org/

Kentucky Division of Forestry Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest ... See MoreSee Less

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