Successful Day Inoculating at New Kent

We had a great day on July 20th at the New Kent Forestry Center! It was a gorgeous day and we stayed cool enough in the shade of the ops building. With 24 folks working, we were able to inoculate about 1400 chestnut seedlings in under 5 hours. That’s pretty impressive and it shows how much progress we can make when you are willing to volunteer to help out!

Volunteers inoculating chestnut seedlings at New Kent Forestry Center

Many hands make quick work!

Having a great team of volunteers made it a very successful day!

The volunteers stand behind their handiwork.

The best part is how much fun it was working with great folks. So with total sincerity, I thank you all. I feel really great about our day and I’m really excited for this research. Fingers crossed, we will learn important and exciting things about the ability of these chestnut trees to survive when replanted.

Another notice will be posted in a couple weeks as we start rating cankers. Any volunteers interested in helping with that will be welcome. Stay tuned.

Thanks again and I hope to see you all again soon.

Kindest regards,

Tom

Thomas McNeill Saielli

Mid-Atlantic Regional Science Coordinator

The American Chestnut Foundation

900 Natural Resources Dr

Charlottesville, VA 22903

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The American Chestnut Foundation

3 days ago

Love grows—just like the American chestnut. 💚

From everyone at TACF, Happy Valentines Day!

Illustrations on our valentines were done by Hal Brindley.

#americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #nature #environement #valentinesday ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation

4 days ago

Seed prep is underway! Meadowview Research Farms staff and Emory & Henry Bonner Scholars are currently bagging seeds that will be sent to TACF Seed Level Members next week. These hybrid chestnut seeds are collected from genomically selected mother trees at Meadowview Research Farms and are one of the only ways to get seeds from TACF. Each seed represents a step forward as we prepare them for distribution to our seed level members; thank you for helping grow the future of the American chestnut!

#AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ChestnutSeedlings ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Chestnut Foundation is with Science.

5 days ago

A major milestone for conservation science.

Our Director of Science, Dr. Jared Westbrook, has published new research in “Science” showing how genomic tools can transform endangered species recovery. By using recurrent genomic selection, we can predict resilience earlier, shorten breeding cycles, and build a restoration system that grows stronger with every generation.

This model doesn’t just help the American chestnut, it could guide restoration for threatened species across the world.

Read the full article: www.science.org/eprint/SBHDH76BXDK366UMHU44/full?activationRedirect=/doi/full/10.1126/science.adw...

#ScienceResearch #ConservationScience #americanchestnut #restoration #conservation #science #nature #explorepage #chestnuts ... See MoreSee Less

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Would this work for the American elm tree?

Across the world...is that like around the world?

Is the American Chestnut Foundation releasing hybrid chestnuts for sale again? I knew you'd shut down the program because you didn't consider the hybrid chestnut tree lineage fixed enough yet in terms of growth pattern. I'm wondering if one can buy chestnut tree saplings again from the Chestnut Foundation?

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The American Chestnut Foundation

6 days ago

We’re honored to be highlighted in this AVLtoday feature on the American chestnut’s story in Western North Carolina.

While the path to restoration is long, moments like this remind us how many people care about bringing this tree back to the landscape it once defined.

Thank you to everyone who continues to help this story grow.

Read the article: avltoday.6amcity.com/chestnut-tree-wnc

Photo curtsey of Audrey Snow Owen of PA/NJ TACF

#americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #environment #nature #asheville #chestnuts ... See MoreSee Less

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I thought American chestnuts didn't have hairs on them or shiny leaves. Is this a chinese hybrid?

Is the photo a back crossed hybrid of American chestnut and Chinese chestnut?

The American Chestnut Foundation

7 days ago

Freedom seekers—enslaved Africans and African Americans who escaped slavery in pursuit of freedom—faced hunger, exposure, and unfamiliar terrain as they journeyed north.

Black History Month provides an important opportunity to honor the past while also recognizing how Black knowledge, leadership, and community continue to shape the present. From histories rooted in land and survival to modern platforms and outdoor spaces where connection and representation matter.

Throughout February, we will share a series of four stories that explore Black relationships to land, legacy, and community, looking at both historical foundations and contemporary expressions.

Read more about Freedom Seekers: tacf.org/black-history-and-the-american-chestnut/

#BlackHistoryMonth #americanchestnut #explorepage #chestnuts #BlackHistoryMonth2026 #restoration #conservation #history ... See MoreSee Less

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Hopefully they will be developing a mold resistant tree.

That's a really interesting perspective. I think a lot of woodcraft and other types of knowledge about the natural world, like astronomy, had to be shared. Also, marine skills.

Chestnuts?

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