On March 28, five Restoration 1.0 chestnut seedlings were planted at the Ivy Creek Nature Area near Charlottesville. These seedlings are a 15:1 cross between native American chestnuts and Chinese chestnuts and have been bred to incorporate the blight resistant characteristics of the Chinese chestnuts. The planting was conducted by Matt Brinckman of The American Chestnut Foundation, who demonstrated the proper way to plant chestnut seedlings.
The planting was followed by an organizational meeting conducted by Warren Laws, who covered the history and characteristics of the chestnut tree and its uses, as well as early attempts to fight the chestnut blight. He also described the national organization and the Virginia chapter, how a local restoration branch fits in and what a branch in the Charlottesville area can do. Dick Olson and Doug Levin provided some pictures of the Southwest VA Restoration Branch. A number of people signed up to assist with restoration efforts, including the Science Working Group, Outreach Working Group and future events at Fortune’s Cove, North Garden and Waynesboro. Some also offered to help at the Fried orchard.
