About Us
Our Mission
The Ohio Chapter was founded primarily to bring about the restoration of the American chestnut throughout the hardwood forests of Ohio, where it once flourished. We work with the National Foundation to advance research, education, and public awareness of this important tree species. The Ohio Chapter implements this mission by education and research. Education would include projects such as establish demonstration plantings to acquaint people with the American chestnut and the blight that has almost eliminated by the blight, providing material for education, provide grants to support demonstration plantings and presenting information at appropriate forums. Research would include mine restoration plantings with American chestnuts, reforestation projects including American chestnut, test plantings of hybrid American chestnuts, finding and document surviving American chestnuts in Ohio, and supporting chestnut research in Ohio with grants.
American Chestnut in Ohio
The range of the American Chestnut was mostly restricted to the glaciated and unglaciated Appalachian Plateau region In Ohio. This is roughly the eastern half of the state. The chestnut grew mostly as part of the oak hickory forests and constituted 10-20% of the forests in eastern Ohio. They reached3-4’ DBH. Since Ohio is in the western part of the range the of the tree the blight did not completely decimate the chestnut in Ohio until the early 1940’s. Some large snags persisted for awhile but now almost the only thing left are root sprouts in the understory of the forest and ODNR now lists the American Chestnut as extirpated in Ohio.
Ohio Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation
The Ohio Chapter of the American Chestnut foundation was established in 2005. The mission of the Ohio Chapter is to support the goals of the TACF through research and education to restore the American Chestnut to its former glory. Education includes demonstration projects to increase awareness, presentations, and publications on the American Chestnut. Research efforts include restoration projects, finding surviving trees in Ohio, and sponsoring research supporting the restoration of the American Chestnut in Ohio and throughout its range.
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Stephen Rist
Ohio DNR Division of Forestry
Email: ro.fcat@retpahcho
VICE PRESIDENT
Bruce Willis
TREASURER
Greg Chopko
SECRETARY
Ryan Homsher
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dale Angerman
John Caruso
Dr. Bob Clark
Dr. Carolyn Howes Keiffer
Kirsten Lehtoma
Brian McCarthy
Dr. Greg Miller
Tom Mills
Chestnut Links
Chestnut Specific Resources
Ohio Woodland Journal Summer 2021 Page 12
USDA PLANTS Profile for Castanea dentata
Breeding and Growing Chestnut
TACF’s 3BUR: Breeding, Biotechnology, and Biocontrol United for Restoration
More General Topics Related to Hardwoods
Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative
USDA Forest Service Publications (and Treesearch)
Silvics of North America
Documents
Annual Meeting Minutes
Ohio Board Mtg F-2016
Ohio Business Mtg F-2016
In The News
Restoring Giants (March 2017) Ohio Cooperative Living. Pages 32-33.
Membership
Membership Form (National and Ohio Chapter)
Ohio Chestnut Inventory
Ohio Small Grant Application
Ohio 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
1 CommentComment on Facebook
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
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
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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Latest News
Ohio Chapter Meeting September 11, 2021
September 11, 2021 Annual Meeting of the Ohio Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation The annual meeting was held virtually via ZOOM. President Carolyn Keiffer told the membership she is retiring from Miami University at the end of the year and the presidency of...
Ohio Chestnut Grant Applications
Ohio Chapter Grant Applications due October 30, 2021!! Grants are available for up to $1000 for any project or plan furthering the American Chestnut by planting, education, or another manner. These grants are available to any people or organizations who would be...
OH Chapter Grants Applications
Posted September 23, 2021 Ohio Chapter Grant Applications due October 30, 2021 Grants are available for up to $1000 for any project or plan furthering the American Chestnut by planting, education, or another manner. These grants are available to any people or...