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Our Mission
The mission of the NC/SC Chapter is to assist in the work of The American Chestnut Foundation in bringing about a revival and a renewal of the American chestnut tree as a prominent part of the forests of the United States of America by strengthening the organization’s financial and membership base, education, public awareness, and research activities.
Once there were over four billion American chestnut trees in the United States. One out of every four trees in the Appalachian forests was a chestnut! From Maine to Mississippi, American chestnut trees thrived and matured as the dominant species, towering over their neighbors the oaks, hickories, and tulip poplars. And they were huge. One tree near Waynesville, NC, was over 17 feet in diameter — 53 feet in circumference!
Foresters called the American Chestnut “the most useful tree in the woods”, because it provided abundant food for wild animals and livestock, a cash crop for mountain farmers, a light, yellow-colored wood for furniture, and rot-resistant lumber for fences, utility poles, and siding.
In 1904 the chestnut blight disease, caused by an Asian fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, was discovered in the Bronx Zoo of New York City. The blight spread quickly by air and on the bodies of insects, birds, and animals.
By the 1930´s, almost all the mature chestnut trees in the Carolinas were dying back to their roots. Thanks to soil organisms, however, many of the roots remain alive, sending up small sprouts that constantly die back from the blight even today.
Now, with an approach called backcross breeding, the American Chestnut Foundation and its Carolinas Chapter are working to revive this great King of the Forest. Within a decade, we expect to have blight-resistant trees ready for testing in North and South Carolina. It is our hope and expectation that the American chestnut will resume its place as a significant species in our forests. The members of the Carolinas Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation are heavily involved in reaching this goal: finding surviving trees, pollinating them, harvesting seed, and planting orchards for eventual reforestation. We sincerely appreciate the dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm of our members and ask you to join us in our efforts to save this great tree.
NC/SC Chapter Board of Directors
Peggy MacDonald, Leicester, NC, President
Open Position, Vice President
Open Position, Secretary
Richard Shaffner, Charlotte, NC, Treasurer
Haiying Liang, Clemson, SC, Membership and Outreach Officer
Jon Taylor, Asheville, NC
Jason Payne, Bear Creek, NC
NC/SC Chapter Website Administrator
Peggy MacDonald, Leicester, NC
The North Carolina / South Carolina Chapter Menu
National Facebook
What a difference a neighbor can make. 🌳🌳 Our Director of Communications, Jules Smith, recently visited a 10+ year-old hybrid American chestnut covered in burs. Just out of frame is another hybrid chestnut that helped pollinate the tree, resulting in an impressive crop of nuts this year. It's a small but encouraging glimpse of what's possible as we work toward restoring this iconic species. #AmericanChestnut #Trees #Conservation #Nature #RestorationForestry
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I heard one of the possible mistakes of the original disease progression of chestnut blight was taking all trees down with signs of blight and not giving trees a chance to demonstrate some resistance. Not sure if that was accurate but it's food for thought as we try to bring them back
My crop will be fair
Sorry to say, but mine took 3 to 4 years looking like this before it died. It's progressive.
Are you looking for funding to support your American chestnut research?
External small grants offer recipients a variety of benefits such as professional development and an expanded network. Grant activities contribute to the continuous renewal and development of faculty and staff, to the education and motivation of students, and achievement of our mutual interest — restoration of the American chestnut.
This is a small grants program. TACF does not ordinarily fund projects in excess of $10,000, but more than one person can receive a grant. Contact us to be added to our email notices for this program.
We are currently accepting submissions from now until September 28, 2026. Submissions will be reviewed by the Restoration Science Committee on October 16, 2026.
2026 Call for Proposals: tacf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/RFP-Small-Grants-Program.8.10.26.pdf
Submission link: forms.monday.com/forms/6ff0cc12fe05ca92c879d36ba6838e05?r=use1
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What a wonderful day at TimberFest! 🌰
We enjoyed connecting with visitors and sharing TACF's mission alongside others who are passionate about forestry and conservation. One of the day's highlights was the unveiling of a chainsaw-carved statue exhibit crafted from trees brought down by Hurricane Helene.
As an organization who's national office is rooted in western North Carolina, it was especially meaningful to see these trees incorporated into an exhibit that honors both the impact of the storm and the resilience of our region. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to learn more about American chestnut restoration and the future of our forests.
#AmericanChestnut #ForestRestoration #Forestry #Conservation #WNC #Explore
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Was this at the Cradle of Forestry?
We love our Bonner Scholars!Thank you, Bonner Scholars!
As we head into the fall semester, we want to take a moment to recognize and thank our wonderful Bonner Scholars for their time, hard work, and dedication to Meadowview Research Farms last spring semester! We are especially grateful to Gabbie and Maddy who graduated from Emory & Henry this past spring, who each served with The American Chestnut Foundation for more than two years. Their commitment and contributions have made a lasting impact on our research farm, and we are so thankful for all they have done! We also want to recognize Carson, who joined us last spring and has been an important part of our team. We’re excited that Carson will be continuing to serve with us this semester.
Thank you, Gabbie, Maddy, and Carson, for all of your hard work and for being such an important part of the Meadowview family. We wish Gabbie and Maddy all the best in their next adventures, and we’re excited to have Carson continuing on with us!
And an additional thanks to Meadowview Research Farms' Tree Improvement Scientist, Lucinda Wigfield, for her outstanding coordination and supervision of this important student group!
#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #ChestnutResearch #meadowviewresearchfarms
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The mysterious voice in this video might be onto something... 👀🌰
Looking for a research project idea? The American chestnut has plenty of unanswered questions waiting to be explored.
If your project touches on chestnut restoration, genetics, blight, ecology, biotechnology, history, or another chestnut-related topic, consider sharing your work at the TACF 2026 Symposium Poster Session.
Give your research an audience beyond the classroom and connect with others working to restore the American chestnut.
For more information visit: tacf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026-Poster-Session-RFP.pdf
#americanchestnut #humor #students #StudentResearch #forestry
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Latest News
NC/SC Chapter Annual Meeting, NC Arboretum, Asheville, NC, August 22, 2026
Mountain Science Expo, NC Arboretum, Asheville, NC, April 25, 2026
The NC/SC Chapter for TACF was invited to participate in the Mountain Science Expo this year. The Expo gives children an opportunity to experience science in person. This year, ecoEXPLORE, a community science organization for 5-13 year old children, visited our table...
South Carolina Hemlock Festival, Mountain Rest, SC, April 18, 2026
The American Chestnut Foundation NC/SC Chapter was invited to participate at this event. Dr. Haiying Liang and students Jay, Stone, Roger from Clemson University, talked about American chestnut restoration with the public. This is an annual event, with many nature...