Maryland Chapter

Chestnut Background

Tree Identification

Is this an American chestnut tree?

TACF chestnut identification resources

Appalachian Trail MEGA-Transect American Chestnut Project Resources:

The above pdf files are based on materials from TACF Southern Appalachian Regional Science Coordinator Paul Sisco’s web site and the TACF Field Guide.

Hypovirulence

Hypovirulence Treatment of Blight Cankers

Hypovirulence treatment outline prepared by Dr. Donald L. Nuss. (C. parasitica strains for tailored biocontrol of chestnut blight on individual trees)
Protocol for treatment of Sugarloaf East Field Trees August 4, 2007
Map of Sugarloaf East Field Trees treated August 4, 2007
TACF Biocontrol information

Grafting

Grafting Resources

Nut-grafting!

January and February are the best times to cut scions from American chestnut trees and graft them onto American chestnut nuts. If they grow, you will have a clone of your scion wood tree that can be planted in a new location. Carl Mayfield, shown above, is an expert on this method of propagation. He graciously allowed us to take video at his nut-grafting clinic last winter, and he wrote out detailed instructions for every step of preparation and nurture, which can be found here:

Instructions for nut grafting from Carl Mayfield

Student Program

American Chestnut Learning Materials

Links to materials available for download at no charge.

American Chestnut Educational Resources
A list of information provided by The American Chestnut Foundation.

The Legend of the American Chestnut Tree
A book written by students of the Poolesville High School, Kirby Carmack & Nicole Rodriguez, with Illustrations by Michael Torres.

The American Chestnut video by Thomas Nassif
An 18 minute video that tell the story of the chestnut and TACF, documents controlled pollination and shows the basics of hypo virulence.

American Chestnut Loaner Lab (University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and Towson University)
Download the teacher’s manual for the Chestnut Tree Lab. Loaner Lab kits made available to MD schools at no cost. A model for a national package to meet technology SOLs along with teaching chestnut science

Penn State Chestnut Growers Website
Everything a chestnut grower needs to know and much more, including back issues of the TACF Journal and other publications in pdf format.

Hypovirulence information (MDTACF)
This information covers the procedures volunteers can use to treat blight on surviving American chestnut trees.

American Chestnut Foundation – links to media resources

Maryland Chapter Menu

National Facebook

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I highly recommend checking out this article by Robert Foster, in which he reminisces about the time he helped save a large, standing American chestnut tree. He also shares an older article that tells the full story of the tree and the effort to preserve it. The original piece, published in American Forests magazine, is titled “Saving Something of Value” by Herbert E. McLean and is copied below his introduction.

Click the following link to check it out: rfoster.substack.com/p/one-big-tree

#americanchestnut #nature #explore #fighttosave #story
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I highly recommend checking out this article by Robert Foster, in which he reminisces about the time he helped save a large, standing American chestnut tree. He also shares an older article that tells the full story of the tree and the effort to preserve it. The original piece, published in American Forests magazine, is titled “Saving Something of Value” by Herbert E. McLean and is copied below his introduction. Click the following link to check it out: https://rfoster.substack.com/p/one-big-tree #americanchestnut #nature #explore #fighttosave #story

Meadowview Research Farms is a huge part of our organization. As you can see, a lot happens here. Two of our barns are in serious need of repairs, as they can't be insured and aren't fit to hold our materials and gear.

Help us raise the barn and donate to our Spring Appeal!

Visit the link in our bio to donate!

#conservation #americanchestnut #donate #conservationscience #explore
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Will we ever see an American Chestnut again?

Check out this interview by World Teen where ME Chapter Vice President, Eva Butler, and our Director of Science Implementation, Cassie Stark, discuss the American chestnut and the role recurrent genomic selection has in saving it.

Watch the full video here: teen.gwnews.com/articles/genetic-research-may-save-the-american-chestnut

#americanchestnut #news #conservation #restoration #explorepage
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And as you continue to study these trees you come to realize that some of these sprouts do live long enough to produce nuts. Then you realize that even in their native range there are a few trees that have survived with blight for many many decades and grow quite large. Then you come to learn that there are in fact many large trees that have been living with blight for many years and continue to grow and produce nuts. I’m sure this group will eventually crack this nut.

Would be nice if more people learn those facts. There is a lot of propaganda out there that tries to mute and downplay what you have discovered. Lately it looks like this group has cracked the nut with the RGS approach and "Best of Best" breeding concepts.

May Events! Field season is starting, so get out and help plant some chestnuts!

Visit the following link to register for an event: tacf.org/events/category/tacf/

#americanchestnut #events #VA #wv #conservation #restoration #explorepage
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May Events! Field season is starting, so get out and help plant some chestnuts! Visit the following link to register for an event: https://tacf.org/events/category/tacf/ #americanchestnut #events #VA #WV #conservation #restoration #explorepageImage attachmentImage attachment

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Can they grow in Florida?

The VA Chapter collaborated on an orchard culling project at Matthews State Forest with Grayson Land Care! ... See MoreSee Less

The VA Chapter collaborated on an orchard culling project at Matthews State Forest with Grayson Land Care!Image attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment
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