Volunteers Power Our Mission
Many hands make light work! TACF volunteers are interesting, inspired folks you get to know as you work, learn, and grow trees together! If you crave connection and want to create positive change, Maine TACF is a great place to give and to get both.
We believe that we can recreate the forest community and revitalize our human community at the same time. We’re doing it day by day. Won’t you join us?
With your help we can accomplish these tasks and more this year:
Chestnut Restoration — Join or start a Chestnut Restoration Team near you. Plant, tend and share chestnut trees and their story with others. Chestnuts-Across-Maine partners with local land trusts, parks, schools and towns to connect people and chestnuts.
Potting seeds — In February we gather at a member’s greenhouse to pot up the nuts that will become the seedlings of 2025.
Inoculating — In June we will inject live blight fungus into the bark of about 3000 trees in our seed orchards in Searsport, Phippsburg, Stetson, Hartland, and Winthrop, to see if the trees show any sign of blight resistance.
Evaluating — Trees inoculated in June of 2024 will be evaluated by TACF scientists to see how well they fared against the fungus.
Roguing — From May through October any trees that succumbed to the blight will be cut down and removed from the seed orchards, leaving more room for the other trees.
Pollinating — In July or August, volunteers will transfer pollen collected from our more promising trees to the blooming flowers of other high performing chestnuts.
Harvesting — In the fall we’ll gather nuts from pure American chestnuts and any hand pollinated “best by best” crosses. The narrow harvest window is usually September 25 through October 10.
Husking— A couple weeks after harvest, it’s all hands on husks to open the spiny burs (with tough gloves) to reveal 2-3 delicious, sweet nuts tucked inside. Hot cider, roasting chestnuts and lively conversation remind us why volunteering is so rewarding.
Learn more about Volunteering
Time is our most precious resource to give. At TACF we treat your time like a valuable gift to the future. Opportunities abound for volunteers, even those who don’t love field work. Take this easy first step: Sign up to volunteer. Our volunteer coordinator will contact you to help you find a good fit for your skills and interests.
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We are not apart from the Earth—we are a part of it. Not something to own or use, but something we belong to. A living part of us, meant to be loved and cared for as deeply as anything else we hold dear.
#restoration #conservation #americanchestnut #chestnut #trees #trending
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TACF is hiring!
We’re looking for a 2026 New England Restoration Intern to support hands‑on chestnut breeding and forest restoration work across our New England chapters. This paid summer internship offers real‑world experience in plant breeding, field research, orchard management, and conservation science. 🌱
Know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them!
Visit tacf.org/employment/ to find out more information and apply!
#americanchestnut #internship #hiring #explorepage #conservation #forestrestoration
Building the future of our trellis orchard one graft at a time! After beginning to train Chinese chestnut trees onto wire last summer, Meadowview Research Farm staff are continuing that work this season by grafting and training American scion onto the same system. By training chestnut trees on wire, our hope is that the canopy is more accessible, making it easier and safer to access all male and female flowers from the ground. Grafting diverse American chestnut scion onto the wire will provide future access to trees from other regions. This careful process of connection and guidance blends strength, structure, and adaptability. #americanchestnut #RestorationInProgress #chestnutresearch #forestrestoration #meadowviewresearchfarms #ConservationScience
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Great work!!
That's a great idea and i hope it works for ya'll, Good luck 👍
At Heirloom Table Company, nothing is wasted and every table tells a story.
This clip showcases how salvaged American chestnut wood, reclaimed from old New England buildings, is transformed into handcrafted tables designed to become family heirlooms.
The full video takes a deeper look at the process and then introduces another local artisan who handcrafts Native‑style flutes. While the flute‑making isn’t connected to chestnut wood, it’s a beautiful continuation of the theme: preserving craftsmanship, skill, and tradition.
Watch the full video here: www.wcvb.com/article/crafting-heirlooms-and-melodies-in-new-england/70794861
#news #americanchestnut #wood #trees #explorepage
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We are beginning to see catkins on chestnut trees in our high-light growth chamber! By growing our chestnuts under 16 hours of high-intensity light, we’re seeing incredible results, including pollen production in less than 2 years. In the field, pollen and female flower production typically takes 5–7 years. This acceleration allows us to shorten breeding cycles and speed up tree generations, helping us select, improve, and scale better chestnut genetics much faster than traditional timelines.
#AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience
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Have you sent out the seeds for seed-level members? I was supposed to get six of them; and in the past, they have always come in March -- and today is the 27th.
Is it possible to buy pollen from American chestnuts?
It is good to hear of the accelerated time line. Are these trees all genotyped?