Maryland Chapter

Sugarloaf Mountain Orchard

The Maryland Chapter operates an orchard at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain in cooperation with Stronghold, Inc., which owns the mountain. Two orchards were started in 1970 with irradiated nuts. The orchards are described as the East Field and the West Field.   The West Field orchard is no longer in use.

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:

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We would like to take a moment to shout out longtime volunteer and board member John Scrivani. John has been working to restore the American chestnut for more than four decades. Check out the article published about him and TACF in Blue Ridge Country Magazine: blueridgecountry.com/newsstand/magazine/the-good-steward/

The article is titled "The Good Steward" by Eric J. Wallace.

#explorepage #news #americanchestnut #conservation #chestnuts
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We would like to take a moment to shout out longtime volunteer and board member John Scrivani. John has been working to restore the American chestnut for more than four decades. Check out the article published about him and TACF in Blue Ridge Country Magazine: https://blueridgecountry.com/newsstand/magazine/the-good-steward/The article is titled The Good Steward by Eric J. Wallace. #explorepage #news #americanchestnut #conservation #chestnutsImage attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment

4 CommentsComment on Facebook

Great stuff

John is a great ambassador for chestnuts, and he has unbelievable patience to help people learn. Here we are collecting scions from large trees for grafting. Thank you for all you do

I would like to purchase some trees for my property

As the weather warms up, now is the perfect time to get involved with some chestnuts.

Check out our March events and join in the fun!

Visit our events calendar for more information on each events: tacf.org/events/category/tacf/

#explorepage #events #volunteer #americanchestnut #nature #Connecticut #Massachusetts #RhodeIsland #virgina #Maine
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As the weather warms up, now is the perfect time to get involved with some chestnuts. Check out our March events and join in the fun! Visit our events calendar for more information on each events: https://tacf.org/events/category/tacf/#explorepage #events #volunteer #americanchestnut #nature #Connecticut #Massachusetts #rhodeisland #virgina #maineImage attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment

There’s nothing quite like the first signs of life in the nursery; our chestnut seedlings are officially emerging! After weeks of careful stratification, planting, and patience, we’re starting to see those first tender shoots break through the soil. Early seedling emergence is a critical stage, showing us that germination was successful and that strong root systems are beginning to establish beneath the surface. These seedlings will be used for our Recurrent Genomic Selection program, including future seed orchards, progeny tests, small stem assays, phytophthora root rot screening. Here’s to healthy growth, strong roots, and a thriving season ahead! #AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience ... See MoreSee Less

There’s nothing quite like the first signs of life in the nursery; our chestnut seedlings are officially emerging! After weeks of careful stratification, planting, and patience, we’re starting to see those first tender shoots break through the soil. Early seedling emergence is a critical stage, showing us that germination was successful and that strong root systems are beginning to establish beneath the surface. These seedlings will be used for our Recurrent Genomic Selection program, including future seed orchards, progeny tests, small stem assays, phytophthora root rot screening. Here’s to healthy growth, strong roots, and a thriving season ahead! #AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience ... See MoreSee Less

1 CommentComment on Facebook

Meadowview for the Win!🏆

Grafting is one of the tools we use to conserve large, surviving American chestnut germplasm and ensure it isn’t lost. By grafting scion from important trees onto compatible rootstock, we can preserve valuable genetics and share this germplasm across regions. This work allows exceptional trees to live on in multiple locations, supporting research, restoration, and collaboration while safeguarding the diversity of the American chestnut for the future.

#AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience
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