Sugarloaf Mountain Orchard
East Field – Originally planted in 1970 with an estimated 1000 irradiated seeds. Most have succumbed to chestnut blight and phytophthora. However, some 27 remaining trees have been used as mother trees in our breeding program. Also, a backcross orchard of BC3 seeds (Manahan 41 x AG247) and an experimental orchard to study hypovirulence were planted in 2007 . However, most of these trees have been killed by the blight, phytophthora or deer.
To see an article on the chestnuts of Sugarloaf Mountain by Essie Burnworth, click here.
Address:
7901 Comus Road, Dickerson, Montgomery County
Contacts:
The Propers – Stewards
David Webster – Executive Secretary, Stronghold Inc.
Challenges: Deer, Phytophthora, gall wasps, vines.
East Field Location:
Maryland Chapter Menu
National Facebook
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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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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Can they grow in Florida?
The VA Chapter collaborated on an orchard culling project at Matthews State Forest with Grayson Land Care!
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