Upcoming events
About Us
The MA/RI Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the restoration of the American chestnut in our states. We support and work in coordination with The American Chestnut Foundation, other state chapters, and our much-appreciated volunteers and cooperating organizations.
Our orchards are primarily composed of hybrid American chestnuts that incorporate varying amounts of Chinese chestnut blight resistance, and we are always interested in new volunteers and technologies to further these and related goals. Our Annual Meetings usually have a Chestnut Potluck with delicious food; we like to have fun and we work hard. We wish to welcome all interested in this work restoring this beautiful keystone species.
Massachusetts / Rhode Island Chapter Menu
MA/RI Facebook
The now functionally extinct American Chestnut, with its bountiful nuts, medicinal properties, and straight, rot-resistant wood, was a critical resource for the indigenous people of this region, the colonists who followed them and a whole web of wildlife.
A story passed down among the Iroquois Confederacy told of a boy who was in trouble for eating the last of his grandfather’s precious chestnuts. In remorse, the boy takes a long journey and surmounts many obstacles to obtain more nuts from an ancient “grandfather” chestnut tree. When he returns to his village, he hands out chestnut seeds to all his people, encouraging them to “plant them all over, so that they can be shared with everyone.”
That spirit was on display at the Fourth Annual Monterey Chestnut Talk and Roast, which was celebrated, as usual, on the day after Thanksgiving, aka Native American Heritage Day. This event also offered an opportunity for participants to become Chestnut Champions – stewards of hybridized, somewhat blight-resistant nuts that could help reintroduce the tree to the woods of Monterey in the southern Berkshires.
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you so much to The Green Tunnel Podcast for releasing this engaging episode about the American chestnut tree! TACF’s Ciera Wilbur, Lab Manager at The American Chestnut Foundation's Meadowview Research Farms, is interviewed extensively, along with author Susan Freinkel.
From The Green Tunnel:
“The American Chestnut was one of the most magnificent trees in North America. On today’s episode of The Green Tunnel, we’re going to explore how it lived, how it died, and how – with the help of scientists, non-profit organizations, and passionate volunteers – it just might repopulate the Appalachian Mountains once again.”
Visit the link in the comments below to listen to this great podcast episode!
1 CommentComment on Facebook
l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.r2studios.org%2Fshow%2Fthe-green-tunnel%2Fthe-perfect-tr...]-R&c[0]=AT1qV2ZDPBkpj5BP27h2mXPqwriEqUB-lijdiYbq2OtoRyllAQ1kcB-UAwjBVaG10A3TIJgh1JSfKElc6ujVwwp3hCv1KYrPIXtqJaW_abOTqG_vnKqLF9GrphZsIt6KxH98vt208xS8e7MyBtyQyf1xmr40h5ooFb7Fsut2pl906K_i_n4DOXeu06ysprPGPkLihelb7Sh9
Stop by the Volunteers Open House on November 29th and support open space with your time & talents!
Current volunteers, celebrate and share the work you do for the Land Trust! New volunteers, find out which opportunity is best for you... Maintaining trails, assembling mailings, removing invasive plants, staffing events, picking up litter, rebuilding stone walls, or perhaps a talent you’d love to share.
Wednesday, November 29th (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m) Wine, beer, and hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Pre-registration encouraged at sklt.org/event-tickets/volunteers-open-house/
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Latest News
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.