Western Maryland 4-H Education and Research Center – University of Maryland
Founded: 2008
Address:
4H Camp Rd, Swanton, Garrett County, Maryland – Google map
Challenges: Poor soils and cool climate have slowed tree growth. Trees were further damaged by deer after failure of the fencing caused by heavy snow. As a result, the outer fence has been removed and a special effort is being made to save 17 of the best remaining trees by protecting them within individual fences. For the latest 2020 inventory click here.
Contacts:
Shelley Packard – Steward, Master Gardener
Linda Harris – Mountain Laurel Garden Club
Ann Sherrard – Extension educator, U of Md
Plantings: (Note: Source of resistance – pink=Clapper, blue=Musick)
Maryland Chapter Menu
National Facebook
We’re proud to share this segment from the PBS show Human Footprint, featuring former TACF staff member Sara Fitzsimmons. The American chestnut sequence was selected to be adapted into a standalone YouTube video, which launched in late September and has already garnered more than half a million views. Sara’s dedication and expertise have shaped much of the progress in restoring the American chestnut. Give it a watch to learn more about this important work.
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Great presentation!
🌰 Harvest season at TACF’s Meadowview Research Farms brings both beauty and breakthrough science. Many of the chestnut crosses we gather are generated through recurrent genomic selection—cutting-edge research driving restoration forward. Each bur holds not only the wonder of new life, but also the promise of a future where the majestic American chestnut returns to our forests. 🌳
#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #ChestnutResearch #meadowviewresearchfarms
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Are there places we can purchases a Chestnut tree that is disease resistant? Thanks!
We'll be co-hosting American Chestnut Day at the NC Arboretum this Saturday! If you're local, we hope you'll join us for a fun day of speakers, activities, and even a wild-type chestnut seedling sale!
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Chestnut Chat returns!
Join us on Friday, October 10, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (EPT), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat.
Our special guest, Dr. Trevor Walker, Assistant Professor of Forest Genetics and Co-Director of the Cooperative Tree Improvement Program at NC State University, will share insights from 70 years of breeding loblolly pine for disease resistance, growth, and stem form. He will also consider which practices are likely to succeed for American chestnut, which are not, and why.
Visit tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-breeding-disease-resistance-in-loblolly-pine/ to learn more or register.
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Can't wait for the Chestnut Chat, sounds like a great opportunity to learn! 🎯
What is EPT? Do you mean Eastern standard time?
🌱 TACF’s Meadowview Research Farms team joined the Clinch Valley SWCD Natural Resources Festival in Russell County, sharing the story of the American chestnut with hundreds of local students. Lucinda Wigfield and Jim Tolton led engaging talks on the tree’s history, the devastation of blight, and TACF’s efforts to restore this keystone species. Inspiring young minds remains central to our mission. 🌳
#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #ChestnutResearch #meadowviewresearchfarms
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We picked this guy up at a booth earlier in the summer. It’s just started getting the darker spots on its leaves. Is it okay? Too wet? Losing its leaves for the winter? Should we keep it indoors now and give it a grow light?